fault

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Fracture in the Earth's crust, on either side of which rocks have moved past each other. Faults may occur where rocks are being pushed together (compression) or pulled apart (tension) by plate tectonics, movements of the plates of the Earth's crust. When large forces build up quickly in rocks, they become brittle and break; folds result from a more gradual compression. Faults involve displacements, or offsets, ranging from the microscopic scale to hundreds of kilometres. Large offsets along a fault are the result of the accumulation of many small movements (metres or less) over long periods of time. Large movements cause detectable earthquakes, such as those experienced along the San Andreas Fault in California, USA.

Faults produce lines of weakness on the Earth's surface (along their strike) that are often exploited by processes of weathering and erosion. Coastal caves and geos (narrow inlets) often form along faults and, on a larger scale, rivers may follow the line of a fault. The Great Glen Fault in Scotland is an excellent example of a fault, and Loch Ness on this fault is an example of a fault-line feature.