FAULT BEDDING

(2B)
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Fault is a fracture / crack / joint along which there has been relative displacement
of beds. Folds in rocks vary in size from microscopic crinkles to mountain-sized folds.
They occur singly as isolated folds and in extensive fold trains of different sizes, on a
variety of scales. Folds form under varied conditions of stress, hydrostatic pressure, pore
pressure, and temperature gradient, as evidenced by their presence in soft sediments, the
full spectrum of metamorphic rocks, and even as primary flow structures in some
igneous rocks.

2.0 OBJECTIVE
To plot ground profile and rock formations from geological map – faulted beddings.

3.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a) Students should able to plot subsurface profile.
b) Students should able to understand the geological structure in subsurface
c) Students should able to understand a history of the geological area.
4.0 THEORY
A geological map is one, which shows in the first place, the occurrence and
distribution of the rocks at the surface of the ground. Conventional sign may show certain facts
of observation about them. The geological map allows the geological structure of the country to
be inferred.

Beds of rocks are bounded by bedding surfaces, which may be horizontal, tilted or
bent in any form or direction. A series of beds which have been laid down regularly one on the
other, and which may be treated as a whole, form a conformable series. It follows that the lower
beds are the older. In such a series of bedding surfaces are parallel. Each bedding surface is
usually common to two beds of rock, being the top of one and the bottom of the one next above.
In the simplest case, these surfaces are planes: bedding planes.
5.0 EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

i. Geological Map (Appendix D)

ii. Graph paper

iii. 30cm ruler

6.0 PROCEDURE

1. Plot the cross-section with the horizontal and vertical scales accordingly to the scale
of the geological map on a piece of graph paper or blank sheet. Refer Figure 1.1. The
vertical scale is normally exaggerated to improve visibility of the profile.
2. Draw a line to join the line of cross-section on the map, says A - B.
3. Using a blank piece of paper, mark the points of intersection accordingly between the
lines with the contours respective to its heights.
4. Transfer the points to the cross-section profile respective to the heights of the
contours.
5. Join the points to form the profile of the ground elevation.

7.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

By referring to Map 14,

 Determine the dip and strike of the coal seams

 Determine the thickness of sandstone outcrop
 Determine the dip and strike of the fault
 Plot the rock outcrop and fault on the cross-section profile
8.0 QUESTIONS
Explain types of fault (with the aid of diagram) and discuss how this structure
occurred.

Normal Fault

A normal fault occurs when the crust is extended. Alternatively such a fault can
be called an extensional fault. The hanging wall moves download, relative to the
footwall. A downthrown block between two normal faults dipping towards each other is
called a graben. An upthrown block between two normal faults dipping away from each
other is called a horst. Low-angle fault with regional tectonic significance may be
designated detachment faults.
Reverse Fault

A reverse fault occurs primarily across lithological units whereas a thrust usually
occurs within or at a low angle to lithological units. It is because of this that it is often
difficult to recognize thrusts because their deformation and dislocation can be difficult to
detect when they occur within the same rocks without appreciable offset of lithological
contacts.

If the angle of the fault plane is low (generally less than 20 degrees from the
horizontal) and the displacement of the overlying block is large (often in the kilometer
range) the fault is called an over thrust. Erosion can remove part of the overlaying block,
creating a fenster (or window) when the underlying block is only exposed in a relatively
small area. When erosion removes most of the overlying block, leaving only island-like
remnants resting on the lower block, the remnants are called klippen (singular klippe)
Lateral Fault

A fault in which slips in such a way that the two sides move with a predominantly
lateral motion (with respect to each other). There are two kinds of lateral slip: right-
lateral and left-lateral. They can be distinguished by standing on one side of the fault,
facing the fault (and, of course, the other side), and noting which way the objects across
the fault have moved with respect to you. If they have moved to your right, the fault is
right-lateral. If the motion is to the left, then the fault is left-lateral.

Oblique-Slip Faults

A fault which has a component of dip-slip and a component of strike-slip is

termed an oblique-slip fault. Nearly all faults will have some component of both dip-slip
and strike-slip, so defining a fault as oblique requires both dip and strike components to
be measurable and significant. Some oblique faults occur within transtensional and
transpersonal regimes, others occur where the direction of extension or shortening
changes during the deformation but the earlier formed faults remain active. The hade
angle is defined as the complement of the dip angle; it is the angle between the fault
plane and a vertical plane that strikes parallel to the fault.
9.0 CONCLUSION

As the result, we can describe from this experiment is at the end of this, we will knew a
categories of fault was happen in our earth. From the diagram in the graph, we can see more
details about the fault were occurred in the earth crust. Faults are fractures which have had
displacement of the rocks along them. A detailed geological map shows what it is you are
standing on, where similar rocks or sediments may be found, how old they are, what they are
composed of, how they formed, how they have been affected by faulting, folding or other
geological processes and what existing or potential mineral resources and geological hazards are
nearby. Geologic information shown on maps is necessary for countless reason, from finding
natural resources (water, minerals, oil and gas) to evaluating fundamental part of the
environment that controls distribution of plants and animals. General purpose geological maps
address all of these themes.
Boundary Dip Direction Strike Dip Angle

AB

BCD

B’C’D’