reverse fault

noun

Geology.

1. a fault in which the rock above the fault plane is displaced upward relative to the rock below the fault plane (normal fault ).

reverse fault

1. A geologic fault in which the hanging wall has moved upward relative to the footwall. Reverse faults occur where two blocks of rock are forced together by compression.

2. Compare normal fault See Note and illustration at fault

Word History and Origins

Origin of reverse fault¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Monday’s earthquake appears to have occurred along a reverse fault, driven by a slow-motion collision between the Indian subcontinent and the Eurasian tectonic plate.

From National Geographic