faultline
Earth's stress crack
A faultline is a fracture in the earth's crust where tectonic plates meet and shift, causing earthquakes.
The figurative sense dominates contemporary usage: a faultline is any deep division likely to cause conflict or rupture.
The debate exposed faultlines within the party.
Economic inequality remains a major faultline in American society.
Also spelled fault line.
Involuntary rhythmic shaking
- aftershockSmaller quake following larger
- magnitudeSize or scale
- RichterSeismological scale eponym
- liquefactionConversion to liquid state
tsunami · shaking · seismograph · collapse · destruction · evacuation · disaster · quake
Of crustal forces
- seismicRelating to ground tremors
- riftCrack or estrangement
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- lithosphereCrust plus upper mantle
epicenter · escarpment · graben · horst · crust · mantle · plate boundary · transform
Narrow break or attempt
- fissureNarrow crack in rock
- ruptureViolent tearing apart
- splitSeparation into parts
- breakInterrupt continuity
cleave · fracture · displacement · offset · scarp · lineament · trace · outcrop
Splitting into parts
- riftCrack or estrangement
- tensionStretched or strained state
- conflictOpposition between parties
- polarizationSeparation into opposing extremes
discord · schism · divide · fracture · cleavage · wedge issue · culture war · inequality
Formal boundary setting
- divideSeparate into parts
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- interfaceShared connection point
- thresholdPoint of beginning
separation · zone · margin · transition · contact · junction · intersection
tremor
Involuntary rhythmic shaking
- aftershockSmaller quake following larger
- magnitudeSize or scale
- RichterSeismological scale eponym
liquefaction · tsunami · shaking · seismograph · collapse · destruction · evacuation · disaster · quake · foreshock
tectonic
Of crustal forces
- seismicRelating to ground tremors
- riftCrack or estrangement
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
lithosphere · epicenter · escarpment · graben · horst · crust · mantle · plate boundary · transform · strike-slip
crack
Narrow break or attempt
break · cleave · fracture · displacement · offset · scarp · lineament · trace · outcrop · gouge
division
Splitting into parts
polarization · discord · schism · divide · fracture · cleavage · wedge issue · culture war · inequality · segregation
demarcation
Formal boundary setting
threshold · separation · zone · margin · transition · contact · junction · intersection
faultlinesolid foundation
reinforcement · bedrock · stronghold · structural integrity · cohesion
faultlinecommon ground
Points of agreement
unity · consensus · solidarity · social cohesion · harmony