noun
- plural of footwall; the rock or strata lying below an inclined fault or ore vein in mining and geology
Usage: technical; geology/mining
Examples
- The miners excavated the footwalls to access the mineral deposits.
- Geologists studied the footwalls of the fault to understand the rock displacement.
- The footwalls in this region are composed primarily of granite and schist.
- Structural analysis of the footwalls revealed evidence of ancient seismic activity.