Question

A reverse fault is caused by

• A. Compressional stress
• B. Shear stress
• C. Extensional stress
• D. Complex stress

Hint:

The type of stress acting on rocks determines the kind of fault that forms.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Picture a reverse fault.
In a reverse fault the hanging wall is pushed up and over the footwall.

Step 2: Ask what kind of force pushes rock up.
Pushing blocks together and forcing one up needs squeezing, that is compression.

Step 3: Rule out extensional stress.
Extensional (tension) stress pulls rocks apart and makes the hanging wall drop, giving a normal fault, not a reverse one.

Step 4: Rule out shear stress.
Shear stress slides blocks horizontally past each other, producing strike-slip faults.

Step 5: Rule out complex stress.
Complex stress is not the single defining cause of a reverse fault.

Step 6: Choose the answer.
A reverse fault is caused by compressional stress, option 1.
\[ \boxed{\text{Compressional stress}} \]