What is the primary function of a reverse fault?

The primary function of a reverse fault is to push rocks together. In geological terms, a reverse fault occurs when the hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall due to compressional forces. This type of faulting is typically associated with tectonic plate interactions where two plates collide, causing one plate to be pushed over the other. As the rocks are shoved together along the fault line, it can lead to significant geological phenomena, including earthquakes.

While generating earthquakes is a consequence of the movement along a reverse fault, it is not the primary function itself. The fault's main characteristic is the compression that causes the rocks to be pushed together. Other functions, such as creating new landforms, may occur as a result of the faulting process, but they are subsequent outcomes rather than the primary action of the fault itself. The option that refers to pulling rocks apart describes a normal fault, which operates under a different stress regime.