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Which of the following is an example of a transform plate boundary?

1. San Andreas Fault in California
2. Aleutian Islands, Alaska
3. Lesser Antilles Islands, eastern Caribbean Sea
4. Ural Mountains in Russia
5. Andes Mountains in western South America

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform plate boundary, formed between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Los Angeles, located on the Pacific Plate, is moving northward towards San Francisco situated on the North American Plate.

Step-by-step explanation:

An example of a transform plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault in California. The San Andreas Fault is a boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate to the west is moving northward while the North American Plate to the east is moving southward, causing Los Angeles and other southern California cities to gradually move towards the north. This lateral sliding of plates against one another at the San Andreas Fault is characteristic of transform boundaries, which can lead to earthquakes due to the built-up tension between the plates.

More specifically, the two plates that form the San Andreas transform fault boundary are the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northward relative to the North American Plate. Although Los Angeles is located on the Pacific Plate and is currently moving toward San Francisco on the North American Plate, both of these major cities lie on the same tectonic plate boundary: the San Andreas Fault.

Ultimately, the San Andreas transform fault boundary marks a highly active seismic zone where the Pacific and North American Plates grind past each other horizontally. Such a setting is prone to producing significant and destructive earthquakes. This movement defines one of the most dynamic and well-studied transform plate boundaries in the world.

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