What is the vertical component of a fault's displacement?

What is the vertical component of a fault's displacement?

• A. Throw
• B. Dip
• C. Strike
• D. Rake

Answer: (A)

Vertical displacement across a fault is called throw. It measures how far one side has moved up or down relative to the other, giving the vertical offset of the slip. The sign indicates whether the hanging wall moved upward (upthrown) or downward (downthrown). The other terms describe orientation or motion within the fault plane: dip is how steep the fault plane is, strike is the horizontal direction of the fault line, and rake is the direction of movement along the fault plane. So, when you focus on the vertical piece of the movement, that’s the throw.

Vertical displacement across a fault is called throw. It measures how far one side has moved up or down relative to the other, giving the vertical offset of the slip. The sign indicates whether the hanging wall moved upward (upthrown) or downward (downthrown). The other terms describe orientation or motion within the fault plane: dip is how steep the fault plane is, strike is the horizontal direction of the fault line, and rake is the direction of movement along the fault plane. So, when you focus on the vertical piece of the movement, that’s the throw.