- 2074 Chaitra · 2 marks
Transform versus divergent plate boundary
Short answer
Transform boundaries slide horizontally with shear stress, neither creating nor destroying crust; divergent boundaries move apart under tension, forming new crust at ridges. Transform quakes are shallow and strong, while divergent quakes are shallow and moderate.
Differentiate between transform and divergent plate boundary.
| Basis | Transform boundary | Divergent boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Plate movement | Slide horizontally past each other | Move apart |
| Crust | Neither created nor destroyed | New crust formed |
| Main stress | Shear | Tension |
| Features | Strike-slip faults, offset ridges | Mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys |
| Volcanism | Absent | Common (basaltic) |
| Earthquakes | Shallow, strong | Shallow, moderate |
| Example | San Andreas Fault | Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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