explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-10T20:35:59Z

Dystyyy: /* Fictional joke faults */ Wrong word

{{comic
| number = 1874
| date = August 9, 2017
| title = Geologic Faults
| image = geologic_faults.png
| titletext = I live on a torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault, which is terrifying.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by several fools with no knowledge of faults. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic appears to be a successor to [[1714: Volcano Types]]. Similar to its predecessor, the comic explores several phenomena (in this case, geologic faults), both real phenomena and several made up for the point of a joke.

A {{w|Fault (geology)|fault}} is a geologic feature that involves the boundaries of two {{w|tectonic plates}}.

Thrust faults were previously mentioned in [[1082: Geology]], and in the title text of [[1388: Subduction License]], [[Beret Guy]] tells [[Cueball]] he can't be a 'normal' roomate because in his motion he is creating a reverse fault.

====Real geologic faults====
;Normal fault
In a {{w|Fault (geology)#Dip-slip faults|normal fault}}, the hanging wall (the lower wall; right) moves downward relative to the footwall (the upper wall; left). The Earth's crust is extended in this type of fault.
;Reverse fault
A reverse fault is basically the opposite of a normal fault. The hanging wall (left) moves upward relative to the footwall (right), and the Earth's crust is compressed.
;Transverse fault
A transverse fault, also known as a {{w|transform fault}}, is where the two plates move parallel to each other, but in opposite directions.
;Thrust fault
A {{w|thrust fault}} is when older rocks are pushed (or thrust) on top of younger rocks. The angles are typically lower (more horizontal) than in reverse faults.

====Fictional joke faults====
;Taffy fault
This appears to involve one tectonic plate, that is being stretched out like a piece of {{w|Taffy (candy)|taffy}}.
;Splinted fault
This appears to be a normal or reverse fault to which someone has attached a large splint.
;Squeezed-bar-of-soap fault
Two plates seem to be moving towards each other, while a third smaller plate is squeezed between them and pushed upwards, depicting a slippery bar of soap sliding between hands.
;Apple power cable fault
The plate appears to have been twisted and bent so many times that parts of it are fraying, similar a frayed Apple {{w|MagSafe}} connector. A similar joke is used in [[1406: Universal Converter Box]].
;Brio fault
The Brio fault seems to be two tectonic plates which join together like the Brio train track pieces do. {{w|Brio (company)|BRIO}} is a company from Sweden that makes wooden toys.
;Torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault
The title text refers to when a bag of chips gets a tear in it. When that happens, it will almost always continue to grow as people get chips out of the bag, sometimes very quickly. It would be frightening to live near a fault that behaved like this because that could cause major seismic events very quickly. If you were close enough to the fault, you might also be afraid that the crack would grow underneath you and you would fall into the bag of chips.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Lacks small description for each item.}}
:[The comic shows nine different schematic views to present geographic faults and some more.]

:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting away to the left and right.]
:Normal fault
:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting against each other from left and right.]
:Reverse fault
:[Two planes moving sidewards.]
:Transverse fault

:[The left plane moves above the other to the right.]
:Thrust fault
:[Two planes drifting away and the connection between them gets smaller.]
:Taffy fault
:[On top of both planes a small piece with splints holds them together.]
:Splinted fault

:[The two planes pressing together with a piece in the middle moving topwards.]
:Squeezed-bar-of-soap fault
:[The right plane is connected to the left and swinging up and down.]
:Apple power cable fault
:[One side with a thin connector and the other with an evenly spaced hole connecting the planes together.]
:Brio fault

{{comic discussion}}

1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-09T15:45:52Z

Dystyyy: /* Explanation */ title text is now explained.

{{comic
| number = 1874
| date = August 9, 2017
| title = Geologic Faults
| image = geologic_faults.png
| titletext = I live on a torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault, which is terrifying.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a fool with no knowledge of faults. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic appears to be a successor to [[1714: Volcano Types]]. Similar to its predecessor, the comic explores several phenomena (in this case, {{w|Fault (geology)|geologic faults}}), both real phenomena and several made up for the point of a joke.

A fault is a geologic feature that involves the boundaries of two tectonic plates.

====Real geologic faults====
;Normal fault
In a normal fault, the hanging wall (the upper wall; right) moves downward relative to the footwall (the lower wall; left). The Earth's crust is extended in this type of fault.
;Reverse fault
A reverse fault is basically the opposite of a normal fault. The hanging wall (left) moves upward relative to the footwall (right), and the Earth's crust is compressed.
;Transverse fault
A transverse fault, also known as a transform fault, is where the two plates move parallel to each other, but in opposite directions.
;Thrust fault
A thrust fault is when older rocks are pushed (or thrust) on top of younger rocks. The tip angles are typically lower than in reverse faults.

====Fictional joke faults====
;Taffy fault
This appears to involve one tectonic plate, that is being stretched out like a piece of taffy, a candy similar to toffee.
;Splinted fault
This appears to be a normal or reverse fault to which someone has attached a large splint.
;Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
Two plates seem to be moving towards each other, while a third smaller plate is squeezed between them and pushed upwards, depicting a slippery bar of soap sliding between two hands.
;Apple power cable fault
The plate appears to have been twisted and bent so many times that parts of it are fraying, similar to the power cable of an Apple phone.
;Brio fault
The Brio fault seems to be two tectonic plates which join together like the Brio train track pieces do. {{w|Brio (company)|BRIO}} is a company from Sweden that makes wooden toys.

The title text refers to when a bag of chips gets a tear in it. When that happens, the tear will almost always continue to grow as people get chips out of the bag, sometimes very quickly. It would be frightening to live near a fault that behaved like this because that could cause major seismic events very quickly.

Thrust faults were previously mentioned in [[1082: Geology]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Lacks small description for each item.}}
:[The comic shows nine different schematic views to present geographic faults and some more.]

:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting away to the left and right.]
:Normal fault
:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting against each other from left and right.]
:Reverse fault
:[Two planes moving sidewards.]
:Transverse fault

:[The left plane moves above the other to the right.]
:Thrust fault
:[Two planes drifting away and the connection between them gets smaller.]
:Taffy fault
:[On top of both planes a small piece with splints holds them together.]
:Splinted fault

:[The two planes pressing together with a piece in the middle moving topwards.]
:Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
:[The right plane is connected to the left and swinging up and down.]
:Apple power cable fault
:[One side with a thin connector and the other with an evenly spaced hole connecting the planes together.]
:Brio fault

{{comic discussion}}

1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-09T15:21:11Z

Dystyyy: incorrect linkage

{{comic
| number = 1874
| date = August 9, 2017
| title = Geologic Faults
| image = geologic_faults.png
| titletext = I live on a torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault, which is terrifying.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a fool with no knowledge of faults. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic appears to be a successor to [[1714: Volcano Types]]. Similar to its predecessor, the comic explores several phenomena (in this case, geologic faults), both real phenomena and several made up for the point of a joke.

A fault is a geologic feature that involves the boundaries of two tectonic plates.

The items are:
;Normal fault
A real-life fault in Geology. In a Normal fault, the hanging wall (the upper wall) moves downward relative to the footwall (the lower wall). The Earth's crust is extended in this type of fault.
;Reverse fault
Another real-life type of fault. A Reverse fault is basically the opposite of a Normal fault. The hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall, and the Earth's crust is compressed.
;Transverse fault
The third real-life fault in this comic. A Transverse fault, also known as a Transform fault, is where the two plates move parallel to each other, but in opposite directions.
;Thrust fault
The fourth and final real-life fault in this comic. a Thrust fault is when older rocks are pushed (or thrust) on top of younger rocks.
;Taffy fault
A fictional type of fault. It appears to involve one tectonic plate, that is being stretched out like a piece of taffy.
;Splinted fault
Another fictional fault. This appears to be a Normal of Reverse fault to which someone has attached a large splint.
;Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
The third fictional fault type. Two plates seem to be moving towards each other, while a third smaller plate is squeezed between them and pushed upwards.
;Apple power cable fault
The fourth fictional fault. The plate appears to have been twisted and bent so many times that parts of it are fraying, similar to the power cable of an Apple phone.
;Brio fault
The final fictional fault. The Brio fault seems to be two tectonic plates, where one fits into the other like puzzle pieces. {{w|Brio}} is a company from Sweden that makes wooden toys.

Thrust faults were previously mentioned in [[1082: Geology]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Lacks small description for each item.}}
:[The comic shows nine different schematic views to present geographic faults and some more.]

:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting away to the left and right.]
:Normal fault
:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting against each other from left and right.]
:Reverse fault
:[Two planes moving sidewards.]
:Transverse fault

:[The left plane moves above the other to the right.]
:Thrust fault
:[Two planes drifting away and the connection between them gets smaller.]
:Taffy fault
:[On top of both planes a small piece with splints holds them together.]
:Splinted fault

:[The two planes pressing together with a piece in the middle moving topwards.]
:Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
:[The right plane is connected to the left and swinging up and down.]
:Apple power cable fault
:[One side with a thin connector and the other with an evenly spaced hole connecting the planes together.]
:Brio fault

{{comic discussion}}

1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-09T15:20:16Z

Dystyyy: I've added descriptions of all of the fault types, hopefully it's thorough enough

{{comic
| number = 1874
| date = August 9, 2017
| title = Geologic Faults
| image = geologic_faults.png
| titletext = I live on a torn-bag-of-potato-chips-where-the-tear-is-rapidly-growing fault, which is terrifying.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a fool with no knowledge of faults. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic appears to be a successor to [[1714: Volcano Types]]. Similar to its predecessor, the comic explores several phenomena (in this case, geologic faults), both real phenomena and several made up for the point of a joke.

A fault is a geologic feature that involves the boundaries of two tectonic plates.

The items are:
;Normal fault
A real-life fault in Geology. In a Normal fault, the hanging wall (the upper wall) moves downward relative to the footwall (the lower wall). The Earth's crust is extended in this type of fault.
;Reverse fault
Another real-life type of fault. A Reverse fault is basically the opposite of a Normal fault. The hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall, and the Earth's crust is compressed.
;Transverse fault
The third real-life fault in this comic. A Transverse fault, also known as a Transform fault, is where the two plates move parallel to each other, but in opposite directions.
;Thrust fault
The fourth and final real-life fault in this comic. a Thrust fault is when older rocks are pushed (or thrust) on top of younger rocks.
;Taffy fault
A fictional type of fault. It appears to involve one tectonic plate, that is being stretched out like a piece of taffy.
;Splinted fault
Another fictional fault. This appears to be a Normal of Reverse fault to which someone has attached a large splint.
;Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
The third fictional fault type. Two plates seem to be moving towards each other, while a third smaller plate is squeezed between them and pushed upwards.
;Apple power cable fault
The fourth fictional fault. The plate appears to have been twisted and bent so many times that parts of it are fraying, similar to the power cable of an Apple phone.
;Brio fault
The final fictional fault. The {{w|Brio}} fault seems to be two tectonic plates, where one fits into the other like puzzle pieces. Brio is a company from Sweden that makes wooden toys.

Thrust faults were previously mentioned in [[1082: Geology]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. Lacks small description for each item.}}
:[The comic shows nine different schematic views to present geographic faults and some more.]

:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting away to the left and right.]
:Normal fault
:[Two planes with a slip fault drifting against each other from left and right.]
:Reverse fault
:[Two planes moving sidewards.]
:Transverse fault

:[The left plane moves above the other to the right.]
:Thrust fault
:[Two planes drifting away and the connection between them gets smaller.]
:Taffy fault
:[On top of both planes a small piece with splints holds them together.]
:Splinted fault

:[The two planes pressing together with a piece in the middle moving topwards.]
:Squeezed-bar-of-soap-fault
:[The right plane is connected to the left and swinging up and down.]
:Apple power cable fault
:[One side with a thin connector and the other with an evenly spaced hole connecting the planes together.]
:Brio fault

{{comic discussion}}