Question

With respect to mid-ocean ridges, transform faults are __________.

(a) associated with hydrothermal vents
(b) located in submarine canyons
(c) parallel to the direction of plate movement
(d) parallel to the rift valley
(e) perpendicular to the ridge axis

Answer 1

Transform faults at mid-ocean ridges are perpendicular to the ridge axis and occur where tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, accommodating differential motion along the divergent boundary.

Step-by-step explanation:

With respect to mid-ocean ridges, transform faults are e) perpendicular to the ridge axis. Transform faults occur where tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another. At mid-ocean ridges, they act as part of a complex system with parts that include fracture zones. These faults intersect the ridge axis and accommodate the differential motion between segments of divergent boundary, causing the segments to be offset. This occurs because the spreading of the seafloor does not happen uniformly, and different segments of the ridge push apart at varying rates and in slightly different directions. This leads to the formation of transform faults, which are essentially fractures in the Earth's crust that occur perpendicular to the axis of mid-ocean ridges.