Why do normal faults tend to be steeper than reverse faults?

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: While the shear stress is greatest at 45° to a fracture, the balance between shear and normal stress components makes fractures slip most easily at around 30° to ?1. Since ?1 is vertical for normal faults the expected dip becomes ~ 60°. Similarly, for reverse faults formed with ?1 being horizontal, the dip should be around 30°.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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