Faults & Topography

What’s a Fault?

A fault is a break in the rock that makes up the Earth’s crust.

The surfaces on either side of the break move past each other, becoming displaced.

Types of Faults

Dip SlipsChange in vertical direction (up and down).

Normal Fault

Thrust Fault

Types of Faults

Strike SlipsChange in horizontal direction (side to side).

Left-lateral

Right-lateral

What Causes Faults?

Stresses and strains on the earth’s upper layers create breaks (faults) in the earth’s crust. These stresses are caused by things like:

• Plate boundary movements• Thermal expansion and contraction• Gravitational forces

To learn more about Plate Boundaries, click here.

Faults Across the Globe

Faults were found near Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia.

Faults Across the Globe

Faults possibly due to earthquake in 2004.

Faults Across the Globe

Faults Across the Globe

What kind of fault is this?

Faults Across the Globe

San Andreas fault in California occurred as a result of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Topography

• Topography is the study of the earth’s surface.

• A Topographic Map is a representation of the earth’s 3-D surface on a flat piece of paper.

• Topographic Maps show important geographical features, landmarks, and land contours.

• Land contours are shown by contour lines.

Topographic Map

• Contour lines are curves that connect congruent points of the same altitude.

• Rules of Contour Maps:– The Rule of O’s– The Spacing of Contours– The Contour Interval

Topographic Maps

Contour Line

Topographic Maps

What are some major differences

between these topographic maps?

How’s It Used?

Can you think of some ways a topographic map might be used?

Topographic Maps are used in:– Geographic Planning– Architecture– Civil Engineering– Earth Sciences– Mining– Hiking