Which boundary type is characterized by plates sliding past each other with no crust formation or destruction?

Which boundary type is characterized by plates sliding past each other with no crust formation or destruction?

• A. Conservative Boundary
• B. Transform Boundary
• C. Divergent Boundary
• D. Convergent Boundary

Answer: (A)

Plates sliding horizontally past each other with no crust being created or destroyed describes a transform boundary. This boundary type is also called a conservative boundary, because the total amount of crust stays the same as the plates slip past one another. The motion is due to shear forces along faults, and earthquakes are common where rocks stick and then suddenly slip. An example is the San Andreas Fault in California. This differs from divergent boundaries, where new crust is formed as plates move apart, and convergent boundaries, where crust is destroyed as one plate dives beneath another.

Plates sliding horizontally past each other with no crust being created or destroyed describes a transform boundary. This boundary type is also called a conservative boundary, because the total amount of crust stays the same as the plates slip past one another. The motion is due to shear forces along faults, and earthquakes are common where rocks stick and then suddenly slip. An example is the San Andreas Fault in California. This differs from divergent boundaries, where new crust is formed as plates move apart, and convergent boundaries, where crust is destroyed as one plate dives beneath another.