Structural Geology –Practice Questions and Answers
Revised November 2008
1. Terms used to describe surfaces across which there has been perceptible displacement are
many. However, most geologists would prefer one of the falling terms: (a) joints, (b)
fractures, (c) cracks, or (d) faults. What term best describes a surface across which there
has been perceptible displacement?
2. Force is a term common to physics. Its classical expression is Force = mass * acceleration.
However geologists are more concerned with the intensity of force or more succinctly the
stress. Stress is defined as ______________________ .
3. Stresses produce strains in Earth materials. What are strains?
4. There are two end-member varieties of faults: dip-slip and strike-slip. The displacement
along a strike-slip fault is _________________ to the strike of the fault.
5. The orientation of a plane in space is expressed by its attitude; a term consisting of two
components, strike and dip. Define strike. Define dip.
6. Though many beds are upright others are not. For example, an overturned bed is one that
has been rotated more than __________ degrees.
7. A dip-slip fault consists of the dipping fault surface and hanging and footwall blocks. The
hanging wall block lies ____________ the dipping fault surface.
8. In the following illustration what block is the White Pine located on? What block is the
Maple located on? What kind of fault is illustrated?
9. The footwall block lies ___________ a dipping fault surface.
10. What do you call a three dimensional surface separating Earth material of differing aspect?
, 11. In a dip-slip fault, if the hanging wall block moved up relative to the footwall block, then
the fault is classified as a ____________________ .
12. In a dip-slip fault, if the hanging wall block moved down relative to the footwall block, then
the fault is classified as a ____________________ .
13. In the following illustration what block is the Willow located on? What kind of fault is
illustrated?
14. Imagine the following. A road is cut by a vertical dipping fault. As you walk along the
road toward the fault, at the intersection of the fault and road, you have to turn to your right
and walk some distance along the fault until you encounter the continuation of the road.
What would you call the fault?
15. Imagine the following. A set of rail road tracks are cut by a vertical dipping fault. As you
walk along the railroad tracks toward the fault, at the intersection of the tracks and the fault,
you have to turn to your left and walk about 10 meters along the fault until you encounter
the continuation of the railroad tracks. What would you call the fault?
16. In the following block diagram, what kind of fault is illustrated?
Revised November 2008
1. Terms used to describe surfaces across which there has been perceptible displacement are
many. However, most geologists would prefer one of the falling terms: (a) joints, (b)
fractures, (c) cracks, or (d) faults. What term best describes a surface across which there
has been perceptible displacement?
2. Force is a term common to physics. Its classical expression is Force = mass * acceleration.
However geologists are more concerned with the intensity of force or more succinctly the
stress. Stress is defined as ______________________ .
3. Stresses produce strains in Earth materials. What are strains?
4. There are two end-member varieties of faults: dip-slip and strike-slip. The displacement
along a strike-slip fault is _________________ to the strike of the fault.
5. The orientation of a plane in space is expressed by its attitude; a term consisting of two
components, strike and dip. Define strike. Define dip.
6. Though many beds are upright others are not. For example, an overturned bed is one that
has been rotated more than __________ degrees.
7. A dip-slip fault consists of the dipping fault surface and hanging and footwall blocks. The
hanging wall block lies ____________ the dipping fault surface.
8. In the following illustration what block is the White Pine located on? What block is the
Maple located on? What kind of fault is illustrated?
9. The footwall block lies ___________ a dipping fault surface.
10. What do you call a three dimensional surface separating Earth material of differing aspect?
, 11. In a dip-slip fault, if the hanging wall block moved up relative to the footwall block, then
the fault is classified as a ____________________ .
12. In a dip-slip fault, if the hanging wall block moved down relative to the footwall block, then
the fault is classified as a ____________________ .
13. In the following illustration what block is the Willow located on? What kind of fault is
illustrated?
14. Imagine the following. A road is cut by a vertical dipping fault. As you walk along the
road toward the fault, at the intersection of the fault and road, you have to turn to your right
and walk some distance along the fault until you encounter the continuation of the road.
What would you call the fault?
15. Imagine the following. A set of rail road tracks are cut by a vertical dipping fault. As you
walk along the railroad tracks toward the fault, at the intersection of the tracks and the fault,
you have to turn to your left and walk about 10 meters along the fault until you encounter
the continuation of the railroad tracks. What would you call the fault?
16. In the following block diagram, what kind of fault is illustrated?
