noun a raised elongated block of the earth's crust lying between two faults
A horst is a raised block of the Earth's crust that has been uplifted along faults, often forming a ridge or plateau.
Horsts can be identified using geophysical methods such as seismic reflection surveys and gravity surveys.
Horsts are often associated with grabens, which are the valleys that form between horsts as a result of extensional tectonic forces.
In the context of plate tectonics, a horst is a block of crust that has remained stationary while the surrounding crust has subsided or been eroded away.
Understanding the presence of horsts and grabens is important in engineering projects such as building foundations and infrastructure development in areas with complex geological structures.
Horst is a common German given name and may be used as a character name in works of fiction written by writers.
Horst may be used as a placeholder name in case studies or research articles in psychology.