Plate Tectonics Questions Medium
The process of transform fault boundary formation occurs when two tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other. This movement is known as transform motion. As the plates move, they can become locked due to friction, causing stress to build up along the boundary. Eventually, the stress overcomes the friction, and the plates suddenly slip, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of an earthquake. These earthquakes are typically shallow and can be quite powerful. The transform fault boundary itself is characterized by a linear feature, known as a transform fault or a strike-slip fault, where the plates are sliding past each other. The most famous example of a transform fault boundary is the San Andreas Fault in California, where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are sliding horizontally past each other.