Transform Boundaries

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The third and final tectonic plate movement is transform boundaries.

In a transform boundary, the earth's plates do not move toward or away from one another. Rather, the plates slide past each other in opposite directions.

These boundaries typically do not create large geological structures, such as mountains and rifts, although they can create small stream beds or valleys.

The greatest threat posed by transform boundaries are earthquakes.

Rub your hands together quickly again.

• Do your hands move exactly in a straight line?

The palms of our hands are not perfectly flat, so there should be a slight shift in how your hands move.

Tectonic plates are similar. They are not perfectly smooth along the edges. Therefore, as the plates slide past one another, they can shift, or sometimes pieces can break off. When these plates shift or break, that can cause an earthquake.

Read about Transform Boundaries to learn more.

The most well-known transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault, which is 800 miles long and runs through California. While the boundary has only produced a few large-scale earthquakes, it produces thousands of small ones yearly.

Read about The San Andreas Fault to learn more.

Look at the map above.

• Where do you see examples of transform boundaries?
• Is there an increase in earthquakes in these locations?
• Can you find the San Andreas Fault on the map?
• Do you live near a transform boundary?

When you are ready, move on to the Got It? section to assess what you have learned.