What boundary describes plates sliding past one another?

• A. Divergent Plate Boundaries
• B. Transform Plate Boundaries
• C. Convergent Plate Boundaries
• D. Subduction

Answer: (B)

Transform boundaries describe plates sliding past one another. At these boundaries, the motion is mainly horizontal, with the plates rubbing side by side rather than pulling apart or crashing together. This shear movement often produces earthquakes and leaves linear offsets in features across the fault. Divergent boundaries are where plates move apart, creating new crust at ridges. Convergent boundaries involve plates moving toward each other, leading to collision or subduction, where one plate can dive beneath another. Subduction is a process that occurs at convergent boundaries, not the boundary type itself. A classic example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault.