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Extensional fault


An extensional fault is a fault caused by stretching of the Earth's crust. Stretching reduces the thickness and horizontally extends portions of the crust and/or lithosphere. In most cases such a fault is also a normal fault, but may create a shallower dip usually associated with a thrust fault. Extensional faults are generally . If the stress field is oriented with the maximum stress perpendicular to the Earth's surface, extensional faults will create an initial dip of the associated beds of about 60° from the horizontal. The faults will typically extend down to the base of the seismogenic layer. As crustal stretching continues, the faults will rotate, resulting in steeply-dipping fault blocks between them.



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