noun
- a polished and striated rock surface produced by friction along a fault plane during earth movement
Usage: geological
Examples
- The geologist examined the slickenside to determine the direction of fault movement.
- Slickensides often display parallel grooves that indicate the slip direction.
- The smooth slickenside surface reflected light like a mirror.
- Miners recognized the slickenside as evidence of past seismic activity.
- The fault zone contained multiple slickensides from repeated earthquakes.
- Striations on the slickenside helped researchers understand tectonic forces.