Folding and Faulting

FOLDING AND
FAULTING
T. Brown
OBJECTIVES
 Define: folding
 Identify at least 6 types of folds
 Explain how plate movements result
in folding of crustal rocks
 Locate countries with features of fold
mountains
CONCEPTS
 Folding–the process where two plates collide
with each other causing layer of rocks to
buckle and form folds
 Syncline–formed when rocks are folded

downwards
 Anticline –formed where rocks are folded
upwards
 Axis- the central line of a fold
 Axial Plane-this is the plane that bisects the
upper and lower angle between the limbs of a
fold
 Folding occurs at a convergent plate margin
where two plates are compressed together.
Where there is powerful and extensive
folding, complex patterns are formed. The
high points of a fold are the anticline and the
low points are the syncline.
TYPES OF FOLDS (STAGES IN FOLDING)
 Simple Fold
Rocky Mountains in Western Canada and the

United States
 Asymmetrical fold- In this type of
fold on limb is steeper than the
other
 Overfold- This occurs when folding rock
becomes bent or warped. The Northern
Range in Trinidad have been over folded.
 Recumbent fold – This type of fold is so
compressed that it is no longer vertical.
There is a large extent of overlapping to the
point where it may form an S.
 Overthrust fold- This occurs when
compression causes rocks to be forced over
another
FOLD MOUNTAINS IN THE
CARIBBEAN
 Folding in the Caribbean has created two
main lines of Fold Mountains from the
convergence of plates millions of years ago.
 The north belt of the Greater Antilles –The
Blue Mountains, Jamaica (2,728 m), to the
Cordillera Central of Hispaniola.

 The south belt of the Northern Range in
Trinidad which rises to 940 m.
OBJECTIVES
 Define: earthquake, seismic wave, focus,

epicentre, hypocentre
 Identify the plate boundaries where
earthquakes occur
 Explain the causes of earthquakes
 Locate major earthquake zones in the
Caribbean and the world
CONCEPTS
 Earthquake–A vibration or tremor (shaking)
that results from a sudden movement within
the earth’s crust along plate margins
 Seismic Waves– the waves of energy produced
by an earthquake
 Focus/Hypocentre- The place in the earth
where the stress is released
 Epicentre- The place on the earth above the
focus
 Mercalli Scale- The scale used to measure the
strength of the earthquake
 The zone along which the sudden release of
energy or movement occurs is called a fault
plane. Earthquake may occur along any
plate margin, on land or under the ocean.
Earthquakes are caused by:
 1. Movement along faults
The movement of plates create tension and

pressure in the rocks causing it to break or
fracture and shift along the fault.
 There many types of faults. The major ones
include:
 Normal fault- rocks are pulled apart as the

earth is stretched
 Reverse fault- rocks are pushed together as
the earth is compressed
 Transform fault (strike slip)- two masses of
rocks are pushed pass each other
 Overthrust fault- compression causes older
rocks to override younger one
NORMAL FAULT
REVERSE FAULT
STRIKE SLIP/ TRANSFORM
FAULT
OVERTHRUST FAULT
FEATURES PRODUCED BY
FAULTS
When a block is bounded by normal
faults drops down (as described
above), a graben is created. If the
bounded block is uplifted, it
becomes a fault-block mountain
range and is called a horst.
OTHER CAUSES OF
EARTHQUAKE
 Movement of magma (volcanoes)
 Volcanic eruptions (activity)

PACIFIC RING OF FIRE
 The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and
sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes,
around the edges of the Pacific Ocean.
Roughly 90% of all earthquakes occur along
the Ring of Fire, and the ring is dotted with
75% of all active volcanoes on Earth.
 Below is a list of problems that face the
authorities after the earthquake. Which four
do you consider to be the most urgent? Give
reasons for your choice.
 i. Provide new homes for people

 ii. Search for missing people
 iii. Rescue stranded people
 iv. Evacuate people in danger
 v. Supply food
 vi. Supply drinking water
 CSEC Questions
 1) a) Define the term earthquake. (2 marks)
 b) Describe two ways by which earthquakes may
occur. (4 marks)
 c) Give an example of earthquake occurrence in
the Caribbean and
 one outside of the Caribbean. (2 marks)
 2) Why are Caribbean islands particularly
vulnerable to damage by
 tsunamis? (4 marks)
 3) Explain why earthquake damage is often
worst in modern
 industrial cities than in traditional village
communities. (6 marks)
 Answers to CSEC Questions
 Question 1:
 a) Define the term earthquake. (2 marks)
 b) Describe two ways by which earthquakes may occur. (4
marks)
 c) Give an example of earthquake occurrence in the Caribbean
 and one outside of the Caribbean. (2 marks)
 Answer to Question 1:
 a) An earthquake is the shaking, trembling or vibration caused
by
 a sudden movement within the Earth’s crust.
 b) Movement along faults can trigger an earthquake. Movement
 along a fault causes pressure to build up, when this pressure is
 released earthquakes occur. When volcanic eruptions are
 explosive they can trigger vibrations within the crust.
 c) Haiti 2010, Chile 2010
 Question 3: Explain why earthquake damage is often worst in
modern industrial cities than in traditional village
communities. (6marks)
 Industrial cities have larger populations living in concrete
structures
 which may collapse depending on the quality of buildings.
Traditional
 villages have smaller populations living in buildings made from
 materials such as wood that might cause less damage. Cities
also have
 many poles, bridges and other structures which may collapse
and
 cause damage. Traditional villages may not have any of these
 structures and so damage would be less.
 Student
 Question 2: Why are Caribbean islands
particularly vulnerable to damage by
tsunamis?
 Caribbean islands are small and some are
relatively flat which would
 make them vulnerable to damage by
tsunamis. Furthermore in many
 islands the highest concentration of
population is found in coastal
 areas.

Folding and Faulting

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Folding and Faulting

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Folding and Faulting

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FOLDING AND

 Syncline–formed when rocks are folded

Rocky Mountains in Western Canada and the

 Define: earthquake, seismic wave, focus,

The movement of plates create tension and

 Normal fault- rocks are pulled apart as the

 Volcanic eruptions (activity)

 i. Provide new homes for people

You might also like