The mass of rock situated immediately beneath an inclined vein, fault, or orebody. In underground mining, if an orebody dips at an angle, the footwall forms the floor of the excavation once the ore is removed. Its structural integrity is vital, as a weak footwall can collapse into the open stope or dilute the ore during blasting.
The ore is pinching out, and we're starting to blast too much into the barren footwall, which is ruining our grade.
A classic miner's trick to remember the difference: if you stood inside the fault, your feet would rest on the footwall, and you could hang your lantern on the hanging wall.
Do not mix it up with
- Hanging wall: The footwall is the rock under your feet in an inclined deposit, while the hanging wall is the rock hanging over your head.
Related terms
Hanging wall
The block of rock that lies above an inclined fault plane or ore body.
Lode
A defined vein or tabular deposit of valuable metallic ore embedded within barren rock.
Stope
To excavate ore from an underground block by driving a series of steps or horizontal cuts.
Thill
The layer of rock or clay lying immediately beneath a coal seam.