What is Diatreme? Understanding This Type of Fault in Geology

Diatreme (from Greek: διατρημή, "a breaking through") is a term used in geology to describe a type of fault that involves the displacement of rocks along a plane without the creation of a fracture.

In other words, diatreme refers to a type of fault where the rocks on either side of the fault are not broken or fractured, but rather are displaced horizontally or vertically along a plane. This type of fault is typically found in areas where there is a significant amount of stretching or pulling forces acting on the rock, such as during the formation of rift valleys or the expansion of magma chambers.

Diatreme faults can be difficult to identify because they do not produce the characteristic breaks or fractures that are typical of other types of faults. Instead, the rocks on either side of the fault may appear to be continuous and unbroken, but they may be displaced relative to each other along the plane of the fault.