

In pure strike-slip motion, fault blocks on either side of the fault do not move up or down relative to each other, rather move laterally, side to side. Strike-slip faults are most commonly associated with transform plate boundaries and are prevalent in transform fracture zones along mid-ocean ridges. Strike-slip faults have side-to-side motion.
STRIKE SLIP FAULT BLOCK DIAGRAM SERIES

The Alpine Fault is the most well-known fault in New Zealand to move in a strike-slip motion. There is very little up or down movement. Strike-slip Strike-slip faulting is where two blocks of land on either side of the fault move past each other horizontally. It is rare that an earthquake ruptures the surface, because most earthquakes are not big enough and occur several kilometres or more below the surface. Blind faults are where any type of fault motion produces an earthquake that doesn’t rupture the Earth’s surface. A reverse fault is where one block of land moves over top of the other one. They often cause a tsunami due to displacing the water vertically when the seafloor thrusts up.īlind thrust fault Where a reverse fault earthquake does not rupture the Earth’s surface. Large, mega-thrust subduction zone earthquakes worldwide are always reverse faulting, such as the M9.1 Sumatra 2004 and M9.1 Tohoku 2011 earthquakes. Many shallow earthquakes are reverse faulting, including the M6.2 Christchurch 2011 earthquake. Reverse faulting occurs all over New Zealand. A thrust fault is a certain type of reverse faulting where the angle of movement is less than 45 degrees. Reverse fault A reverse fault is where one block of land moves over top of the other one. The M6.5 Edgecumbe 1987 earthquake is an example of normal faulting. The Taupō Volca no Zone is an extensional rift zone and normal faulting is common in this region. Normal fault Normal fault motion is where one overlying block of land moves or slides down relative to the lower block.

This video shows the different types of motion. Blocks of land can move in several different ways relative to each other during an earthquake.
