The present disclosure relates to detection of faults in an electric power system. In one embodiment, an incremental quantities subsystem is configured to determine a forward torque, an operating torque, and a reverse torque based on the plurality of time-domain representations of electrical conditions. Each of the forward torque, the operating torque, and the reverse torque may be integrated over an interval. A fault detection subsystem may determine an occurrence of the fault based on a comparison of the operating torque to the forward torque and the reverse torque. Further, a direction of the fault may be determined based on the comparison of the forward torque, the operating torque, and the reverse torque. A fault may be declared based on the comparison and the direction. A protective action subsystem may implement a protective action based on the declaration of the fault.