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GCSE Geography · key term
A fracture in the Earth’s rocks along which movement occurs.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 1.3 · Paper 1
A fracture in rock along which movement has occurred.
Revise: Coastal Physical ProcessesJoints are cracks without significant displacement; faults are fractures along which rock has moved. Both provide weaknesses that water can enter and waves can exploit. Hydraulic action and abrasion can enlarge these weaknesses into caves, even in otherwise resistant headlands.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Explain earthquake formation as a linked sequence: plate movement → stress builds while a fault is locked → sudden slip → energy released as seismic waves.
When explaining geological structure, include weaknesses such as joints and faults as well as the direction of rock bands.
For an explanation, link plate movement to friction, stress building up, sudden fault movement and the release of seismic waves.
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An earthquake occurs when rocks suddenly slip along a fault, releasing stored energy. A fault is a fracture in rock along which movement occurs. Most earthquakes happen near plate boundaries, where moving plates deform the rocks.
A fracture in rock along which movement has displaced the rock on either side.
Specification 1.2a · Paper 1, Paper 3
Revise: Tectonic Plate Movement: EarthquakesMost earthquakes occur at or near plate boundaries. These boundaries contain faults: fractures along which rocks can move. Earthquakes can also occur within plates, so they are not restricted entirely to plate edges.