An active fault is a fault that is likely to become the source of another earthquake sometime in the future. Geologists commonly consider faults to be active if there has been movement observed or evidence of seismic activity during the last 10,000 years.
5-748: The Swan Islands Transform Fault is an active left-lateral (sinistral) strike-slip fault zone that forms part of the boundary between the Caribbean plate and the North American plate . It runs along the southern boundary of the Cayman Trough from the Mid-Cayman Rise spreading center in the east, to Guatemala in the west, where it continues as the Motagua Fault . It consists of two main fault strands that overlap west of
10-658: A cause. Effects of movement on an active fault include strong ground motion , surface faulting, tectonic deformation , landslides and rockfalls , liquefaction , tsunamis , and seiches . Quaternary faults are those active faults that have been recognized at the surface and which have evidence of movement during the Quaternary Period. Related geological disciplines for active-fault studies include geomorphology , seismology , reflection seismology , plate tectonics , geodetics and remote sensing , risk analysis , and others. Active faults tend to occur in
15-563: Is employed with other factors to determine the potential earthquake hazard. The geologic conditions and plate tectonic setting in much of the Western U.S. has resulted in the region being underlain by relatively thin crust and having high heat flow, both of which can favor relatively high deformation rates and active faulting. In contrast, in the Central and Eastern U.S. (CEUS) the crust is thicker, colder, older, and more stable. Furthermore,
20-482: The Swan Islands . It has been associated with several major earthquakes , including those in 2009 and 2018 . This article about structural geology is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Honduras -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Active fault Active faulting is considered to be a geologic hazard – one related to earthquakes as
25-591: The vicinity of tectonic plate boundaries, and active fault research has focused on these regions. Active faults tend to occur less within the area of any given plate. The fact that intraplate regions may also present seismic hazards has only recently been recognized. Various geologic methods are used to define the boundaries of an active fault such as remote sensing and magnetic measurements, as well as other ways. Several types of data, such as seismologic reports or records over time, are used to gauge fault activity. Activity and fault area are correlated, and risk analysis
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