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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is Transform fault, fracture zone?

Also known as: transform fault · fracture zone

Definition 13.10 University Earth and Space Sciences — Year 1 · Chapter 13 — Rifts, Ridges and Passive Margins

A transform fault is a strike-slip fault that is a plate boundary and ends at other plate boundaries; a ridge–ridge transform links the ends of two offset ridge segments. A fracture zone is the continuation of a transform fault beyond the ends of the ridge segments: a linear valley or step across the ocean floor separating floor of different ages that belongs to a single plate.

A ridge offset by a transform fault, in map view, north up. The two plates move apart from each segment (black arrows); along the transform (red) they slide past each other right-laterally (half-arrows), although the offset of the ridge looks left-lateral. Grey lines are isochrons, labelled in millions of years: across each fracture zone (dashed) floor of different ages, hence different depths, lies side by side, but both sides move together. Stars: earthquakes, confined to the transform.
A ridge offset by a transform fault, in map view, north up. The two plates move apart from each segment (black arrows); along the transform (red) they slide past each other right-laterally (half-arrows), although the offset of the ridge looks left-lateral. Grey lines are isochrons, labelled in millions of years: across each fracture zone (dashed) floor of different ages, hence different depths, lies side by side, but both sides move together. Stars: earthquakes, confined to the transform.
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