The use of soils in estimating the time of last movement of faults

Site safety factors require that a nuclear reactor not be built over an active fault. Pedological principles have been used to assist in defining the minimum time since the last movement of a fault. Soil morphology may indicate if a fault associated with the soil last moved before or after the formation of the soil. Mineral or rock alteration within the soil may indicate the minimum amount of time represented by the soil.