What is a half graben?

A half graben is a geological structure characterized by a block of the Earth's crust that has been tilted and displaced, usually due to faulting. In a half graben, one side is uplifted while the other side, which is often associated with a normal fault, drops down, creating a basin-like feature. This formation typically results in asymmetric topography, where one side is steeper and the other is more gently sloping. Half grabens are commonly found in regions experiencing extensional tectonics.