footwall
Americannoun
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Mining. the top of the rock stratum underlying a vein or bed of ore.
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Geology. a mass of rock lying beneath a fault plane.
noun
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The block of rock lying under an inclined geologic fault plane.
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See more at fault Compare hanging wall
Etymology
Origin of footwall
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a dip-slip system, the footwall is below the fault plane and the hanging wall is above the fault plane.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017
The body of rock above the fault is called the hanging wall, and the body of rock below it is called the footwall.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
If the fault develops in a situation of compression, then it will be a reverse fault because the compression causes the hanging wall to be pushed up relative to the footwall.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
The terms hanging wall and footwall in the diagrams apply to situations where the fault is not vertical.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
To this stake another cord is tied and drawn straight into the tunnel to a point as far as it can go without being bent by the hangingwall or the footwall of the vein.
From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Agricola, Georgius
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
