Which boundary type occurs when two plates slide past each other in opposite directions?

Which boundary type occurs when two plates slide past each other in opposite directions?

• A. Divergent Boundary
• B. Transform Boundary
• C. Convergent Boundary
• D. Subduction Zone

Answer: (B)

When two tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another in opposite directions, the boundary type is transform. This motion is a shear process along faults, producing earthquakes as the rocks along the boundary slide past each other without creating new crust or consuming it. This differs from divergent boundaries, where plates move apart and new crust forms, and from convergent boundaries, where plates collide and crust is pushed down or uplifted. A subduction zone is a feature that can occur at a convergent boundary, where one plate sinks beneath another, rather than a standalone boundary type. An example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific and North American plates slide past one another.

When two tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another in opposite directions, the boundary type is transform. This motion is a shear process along faults, producing earthquakes as the rocks along the boundary slide past each other without creating new crust or consuming it. This differs from divergent boundaries, where plates move apart and new crust forms, and from convergent boundaries, where plates collide and crust is pushed down or uplifted. A subduction zone is a feature that can occur at a convergent boundary, where one plate sinks beneath another, rather than a standalone boundary type. An example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific and North American plates slide past one another.