Horst (Noun)
Meaning
A ridge of the earth's crust that has been forced upward between two faults and so is higher than the surrounding land.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- The Vosges Mountains in northeastern France are a classic example of a horst, where the crust has been pushed upward between two parallel faults.
- The Sierra Nevada mountain range in California is thought to have formed as a horst, with the rocks uplifted by faulting on either side.
- Geologists believe that the formation of the Rhine Valley in Europe was influenced by the uplift of a horst, which created a barrier to the flow of the Rhine River.
- The unique geology of the Swiss Alps includes numerous horsts, where the rocks have been forced upward between faults to create rugged mountain peaks.
- In Arizona, the Kaibab Plateau is a horst that has been uplifted by faulting, creating a high, flat-topped plateau surrounded by lower-lying land.