active fault

The Emerson fault, one of the segments that ruptured in the M7.2 1992 Landers, Calfornia earthquake. Photo credit: Kerry Sieh, Caltech

A fault that is likely to have another earthquake sometime in the future. Faults are commonly considered to be active if they have moved one or more times in the last 10,000 years.

Related category

• GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Also on this site:

Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History

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