ASBOG Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Preparation Guide

A "strike-slip fault" is characterized by the horizontal sliding of two blocks of rock past one another along the fault line. This type of faulting occurs primarily due to shear stress, which causes the rocks on either side of the fault to move laterally. The movement is predominantly horizontal with little to no vertical displacement, which distinguishes it from other types of faults.

In contrast, the other concepts provided lead to different fault types. Vertical movement is associated with dip-slip faults, where blocks move up or down relative to each other. Strike-slip faults are generally not formed by converging tectonic plates; that scenario typically results in compression and the formation of thrust or reverse faults. Additionally, a static fault showing no movement does not fit the dynamic nature of strike-slip faults, where movement has occurred and continues to occur through tectonic forces. Thus, the defining characteristic of the strike-slip fault is the horizontal movement of rock blocks relative to each other.