Transform Fault Boundary
The fracture zone which is made by a transform plate boundary is called a transform fault. Most of the transform faults are found in the deep ocean basin. There are three types of plate boundaries. Convergent boundaries, Divergent Boundaries and Transform Boundaries. Convergent boundaries are defined as where the crust is destroyed as one plate collides under another plate. Divergent boundaries are defined as where the new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other. Transform boundaries are defined as where the crust is neither created nor destroyed as the plates slide horizontally past each other. Along with transform boundaries, two plates are sliding horizontally by each other.
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Define Transform
The outer surface of our planet may look like one solid shell. But according to the theory of plate tectonics outer layers are called the lithosphere. It is actually broken up into massive rigid slabs called tectonic plates that fit together like puzzle pieces. It looks like floating on a thick molten layer of the mantle called the asthenosphere. Transform means in which we cannot create or destroy any new thing. We can only transform it from one form to another. It is a conservative type.
What is a Transform Boundary?
As we mentioned above the transform boundary is defined as where the crust is neither produced nor destroyed because here the plates slide only horizontally past each other. As we just said transform boundaries or when two plates are sliding by one another. It can occur along with any type of boundary. This creates a ridge along the boundary. The boundary between the plates is not a perfectly straight line, nothing in nature. So the boundary between the plates might get some pressure as they start to build up. When two plates slide horizontally past each other with strike-slip motion, shear stress occurs at boundaries. Transform faults link offset boundary segments.
Occurrence of Transform Faults
Most transform faults are found in the ocean basin where they connect offsets in mid-ocean ridges. Transform faults can also connect a spreading ridge with the subduction zone such as the San Andreas fault that separates the Pacific and North America plates.
They may catch or hang on each other depending on how stuck they get more and more pressure could be built up. When this pressure starts to increase eventually, the rock is going to give way and it is going to shift. When it does a tremendous amount of energy is going to be released that energy is what causes an earthquake. The transform boundary is so unpredictable that communities are built on top of it. The segments of the fault have ruptured to produce three major earthquakes in the last four hundred years. The latest event of this type occurred in 1906 and its consequence is a fire that destroyed large sections of San Francisco.
Transform Plate Boundaries
The exploration geologists have described plate boundaries in reference to the dominant forces acting on the plates. Transform plate boundaries typically demonstrate some of the most threatening geological characteristics in North America. But they can be so deceptively modest in their physical appearance that they build major cities on top of them. The most famous example of a transform plate boundary runs through California and separates the North American Plate from the Pacific Plate. Few transform boundaries take place in the deep oceans and can’t see from outside of the ocean. If we talk about one example, we would know that the small Scotia plate is separated from the Antarctic and South American plates by transforming boundaries along its north and south margins. The ridge system in any ocean basin reveals that it is often offset by short transform boundary segments. These types of offsets are important for permitting the rigid tectonic plates to move over a spherical shape of Earth.
FAQs on Transform Fault
1. What exactly is a transform fault?
A transform fault is a specific type of boundary where two of the Earth's tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally. Unlike other boundaries, the crust is neither created nor destroyed here, which is why they are often called conservative plate boundaries. This sliding motion is the primary cause of many earthquakes.
2. What are the main types of transform fault boundaries?
Transform faults are generally classified based on the type of crust they separate. The two main types are:
- Oceanic Transform Faults: These are the most common type, found on the ocean floor, where they connect segments of mid-ocean ridges.
- Continental Transform Faults: These occur where plates slide past each other on land. They are less common but are known for causing powerful earthquakes in populated areas.
3. Can you give a famous example of a transform fault?
The most famous example of a continental transform fault is the San Andreas Fault in California. It marks the boundary where the Pacific Plate is sliding northwestward past the North American Plate. This fault is responsible for the significant seismic activity in the region.
4. How is a transform fault different from a convergent or divergent boundary?
The key difference lies in the plate motion. At a convergent boundary, plates collide, often with one sliding under the other (subduction). At a divergent boundary, plates pull apart, allowing magma to rise and form new crust. A transform fault is unique because the plates only slide horizontally past one another, without creating or destroying crust.
5. Why do transform faults cause strong earthquakes but not volcanoes?
Earthquakes occur because the massive rock plates don't slide smoothly. They lock together, building up immense stress. When the stress overcomes the friction, the rock fractures and snaps forward, releasing energy as an earthquake. However, volcanoes do not form because there is no subduction or rifting. The plates are only grinding past each other, so no crust is being melted into magma that could rise to the surface.
6. What is the difference between a transform fault and a strike-slip fault?
These terms are closely related but have a specific distinction. A strike-slip fault is the general term for any fault where the motion is horizontal. A transform fault is a major type of strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between two tectonic plates. So, all transform faults are strike-slip faults, but not all strike-slip faults are transform faults.
7. What kind of geological features are typically found along a transform fault?
The intense shearing motion along a transform fault can create several distinct geological features. These include long, straight valleys known as rift valleys, offset streams and rivers that have been redirected by the fault's movement, and linear ridges or scarps. The landscape often shows clear evidence of the ground being torn and displaced horizontally.
