Final answer:
Evidence of faulting in a rock exposure often includes visible displacement along fractures, where rock blocks slide against each other. Faults are the result of tectonic stresses like compression, tension, and shear, and are classified based on their movement. Identification involves observational analysis of the rock's deformation and the orientation of the layers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tectonic geological features are often visible indicators of stresses and pressures within the crust of a planet, and these can lead to significant geological events such as earthquakes. When tectonic stress causes rocks to break, the resulting feature is known as a fault. A rock exposure displaying evidence of faulting would show displacement or slipping along the fracture, where one block of rock slides against another.
Applying stress creates deformation of the rock, also known as strain. This is initially elastic, allowing rocks to return to their original shape until reaching their elastic limit. Beyond this point, permanent deformation occurs, either as plastic deformation or fracturing. Faults are definitive geological structures where significant movement has occurred, and they are classified based on their movement: strike-slip, normal, or reverse (thrust) faults.
Tectonic forces related to plate boundaries are responsible for creating various geological structures, including faults. These forces - compression, tension, and shear - can bend and break rocks. The type of stress experienced by the rock determines the nature of the fault or fold produced. Identifying these features requires observation of the rock layers' orientation, the presence of displaced strata, and the type of stress indicated by the rock's deformation.