Glossary
Transform Fault
A transform fault is a boundary where two plates slide horizontally past each other, neither creating nor destroying crust. Most connect sections of mid-ocean ridges on the sea floor.
A few cross continents, like the San Andreas Fault in California or the Alpine Fault in New Zealand. Locked for decades, they give way suddenly and cause shallow, often destructive earthquakes.
Examples on the Map
Other Definitions
- Tectonic Plate
- Subduction
- Mid-Ocean Ridge
- Fault
- Earthquake, Epicentre and Hypocentre
- Magnitude
- Intensity (Mercalli Scale)
- Aftershock
- Tsunami
- Active Volcano
- Stratovolcano
- Shield Volcano
- Caldera
- Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
- Pyroclastic Flow
- Lahar
- Hotspot
- Tropical Cyclone, Hurricane, Typhoon
- Saffir-Simpson Scale
- Aurora and Kp Index