A Graben is the result of a block of land being downthrown producing a valley with a distinct scarp or "escarpment" on each side. An example would be a rift valley such as the Jordan valley (containing the dead sea) or the East African rift valley system or the Rio Grande Rift in New Mexico and west Texas.
Grabens often occur side-by-side with Horsts. (see related link below).
A Horst is the reverse of a Graben, it forms as a residual elevated block of land left between the formation of two parallel Graben. An example of a Horst would be the Black Forrest mountains, and the Ruwenzori Range.
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Horsts and grabens are both landforms created by the process of faulting in the Earth's crust. A horst is a raised block of crust between two parallel faults, while a graben is a lowered block of crust between parallel faults. Both features are typically found in regions where tectonic forces are actively pulling the Earth's crust apart.
Both horsts and grabens occur from tensional stress and normal faulting. Also, both of them occur between two normal faults.
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Please note that both features are NOT produce by tension, NO point on the Earth's crust can be in tension (or the Earth would fly apart). However, they do form in areas of crustal extension where the principal (maximum) stress is vertical (gravity).
See related link below.
Horsts are mountains, while grabens refer to valleys. In geology, these are found in regions that lie between normal faults and are higher than the area beyond the faults.
At divergent boundaries, land features associated with orogenesis include rift valleys and mid-ocean ridges. These features form as tectonic plates move apart, causing the crust to stretch and fracture, leading to the creation of new crust and landforms.
These down-dropped blocks of crust are called grabens. Grabens are formed by the extensional forces that cause the crust to stretch and create space for the down-dropped blocks between the steeply dipping normal faults.
Uplifted blocks are called horsts. They are characterized by being elevated relative to the surrounding areas due to tectonic forces, often created by the movement of faults.
A trench between two parallel faults in the earth's crust is called a graben. Grabens are formed by the downward movement of blocks of land between normal faults.
An uplifted block bounded by two reverse faults is known as a horst. It is a raised area of land between two parallel faults where the central block has moved upward relative to the blocks on either side. Horsts are common features in regions where tectonic forces cause the Earth's crust to compress and deform.