A well-known transform plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault, which is responsible for many of California’s earthquakes. California’s San Andreas fault is a transform boundary.Ī transform plate boundary occurs when two plates slide past each other, horizontally. Many transform boundaries are found on the sea floor, where they connect segments of diverging mid-ocean ridges. At transform boundaries lithosphere is neither created nor destroyed. Transform boundaries are places where plates slide sideways past each other. The west side of California is moving north, and the east side is moving south. The most famous example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault in California. Transform boundaries are where two of these plates are sliding alongside each other. What are the characteristics of transform fault boundaries? However, a few occur on land, for example the San Andreas fault zone in California. They commonly offset the active spreading ridges, producing zig-zag plate margins, and are generally defined by shallow earthquakes. Transform boundaries Most transform faults are found on the ocean floor. How does it look like transform boundary? They move at a rate of one to two inches (three to five centimeters) per year. The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another divergent, where plates move apart and transform, where plates move sideways in relation to each other. Where do transform boundaries most commonly occur? The most common magmas at constructive plate margins are the iron/magnesium-rich magmas that produce basalts. One of the reasons for this is that there is little or no magma available at the plate boundary. Volcanoes do not typically occur at transform boundaries. Places where these breaks occur are called faults. As the plates rub against each other, huge stresses can cause portions of the rock to break, resulting in earthquakes. This is known as a transform plate boundary. Usually, one of the converging plates will move beneath the other, a process known as subduction. What are some examples of transform fault boundaries?Ĭan transform boundaries cause volcanoes? What causes transform boundaries to move? Rocks that line the boundary are pulverized as the plates grind along, creating a linear fault valley or undersea canyon. Natural or human-made structures that cross a transform boundary are offset-split into pieces and carried in opposite directions. Two plates sliding past each other forms a transform plate boundary. What happens when transform boundaries occur?