ASBOG Practice Exam

Detachment faults are typically associated with which tectonic setting?

1. Subduction zones

2. Convergent boundaries

3. Transform boundaries

4. Extensional tectonism

The correct answer is: Extensional tectonism

Detachment faults are primarily associated with extensional tectonism. In this tectonic setting, the Earth's crust is being stretched and pulled apart, leading to the development of normal faults. Detachment faults are a type of normal fault that plays a critical role in accommodating significant horizontal crustal extension, often resulting in the formation of large blocks of crust that can slide or detach from one another. In extensional tectonics, the movement on these faults is typically characterized by the upper crust being pulled upward, while the lower crust or mantle crust tends to move downward. This movement can create basins and mountain ranges, as well as influence the geological landscape significantly. In contrast, subduction zones, convergent boundaries, and transform boundaries involve different tectonic processes: subduction zones are characterized by one tectonic plate being forced under another, convergent boundaries involve the collision and compression of plates, and transform boundaries allow plates to slide past each other horizontally. None of these settings typically foster the same extension-related faulting mechanisms that characterize detachment faults.