Final answer:
When two crustal plates slide past one another, it is called a transform boundary. These boundaries are characterized by lateral movement along faults and can result in earthquakes. The movement rate is similar to the growth of fingernails and subduction may occur at convergent plate boundaries.
Step-by-step explanation:
When two crustal plates slide past one another, this is known as a transform boundary. At transform boundaries, plates move laterally relative to each other; they do not primarily move towards or away from each other. Such movement occurs along faults, which are fractures in Earth's crust where the plates are moving parallel to each other. Notable examples of transform plate boundaries include the San Andreas Fault in California and the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey. Fault zones at these boundaries may be sites of frequent earthquakes as the plates lock and then release as they slide past one another.
The rate at which these plates move is similar to how fingernails grow, ranging from a few millimeters to several centimeters per year. Additionally, when plates converge, sometimes one plate may be pushed beneath another in a process known as subduction. Subduction zones can form deep ocean trenches, such as the Japan trench, and are responsible for recycling the Earth's crust through the mantle.