Transform Fault (Lateral) Boundary PDF

Transform Fault (Lateral) Boundary Prepared by: Ringie C. Tangeres Understanding Plate Boundaries ▪ The Earth's lithosphere is broken into several tectonic plates that move. ▪ Plate boundaries are regions where these plates interact, resulting in significant geological features...

Transform Fault (Lateral) Boundary Prepared by: Ringie C. Tangeres Understanding Plate Boundaries ▪ The Earth's lithosphere is broken into several tectonic plates that move. ▪ Plate boundaries are regions where these plates interact, resulting in significant geological features and processes. ▪ Types of Boundaries: 1. Convergent: Plates collide. 2. Divergent: Plates move apart. 3. Transform (Lateral): Plates slide horizontally past one another. What is a Transform Fault Boundary? A transform fault boundary is where two tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another. It is also known as a conservative boundary as no crust is created or destroyed. How Do Transform Boundaries Work? Shearing Forces: Transform boundaries are driven by lateral shearing forces. Vertical Nature: Generally vertical, running parallel to plate motion. Absence of Volcanism: Little to no volcanic activity unlike other boundaries. Earthquakes: Known for earthquakes due to stress build-up along fault lines. Types of Transform Boundaries Oceanic Transform Faults: Associated with mid-ocean ridges and create fracture zones. Fracture zones are linear features that mark the transition between offset segments of a mid-ocean ridge. Continental Transform Faults: Found on land and create long fault lines like the San Andreas Fault. Ridge-Ridge Transform Fault  Ridge-ridge transform faults are essentially breaks or offsets that occur along the intersection of two mid-ocean ridges. Imagine this: Picture two parallel roads. If one road suddenly turns or bends, creating a gap between the two, that gap would be similar to a ridge-ridge transform fault. Why do they happen? These faults occur due to variations in the spreading rates of tectonic plates. If one side of a mid-ocean ridge is spreading faster than the other, it can create a kink or offset where the two ridges meet. This offset is the ridge-ridge transform fault. Ridge-Trench Transform Fault  Ridge-Trench Transform Fault is a type of geological fault that connects a mid-ocean ridge (where tectonic plates are moving apart) to a subduction zone (where one tectonic plate is sliding beneath another). It acts as a transition zone between these two different types of plate boundaries. Queen Charlotte Island Fault Trench-Trench Transform Fault Triple Junctions A triple junction is where three tectonic plates meet with at least one transform fault. Common Types: RRR (all plates spreading), RTF (ridge, trench, and fault), TTT (all plates converging). An all-transform triple junction (FFF) is impossible. Afar Triple Junction Afar Triple Junction (Africa) The Afar region is a special place where the Earth's crust is breaking apart. It's like a "Y"-shaped crack in the ground. The Arabian Plate is moving away from the African Plate. This created the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The African Plate is also splitting into two new plates. Where these three plates meet is called a Triple Junction. In the future, this area might become a new ocean. The reason for this breaking apart is probably a hot spot or mantle plume.