How do strike-slip faults differ from transform faults?
Answer A transform fault or transform boundary, also known as conservative plate boundary, is a fault which runs along the boundary of a tectonic plate. The relative motion of such plates is generally horizontal in either sinistral or dextral direction. Typically, some vertical motion may also exist, but the principal vectors in a transform fault are oriented horizontally. Not all faults are transform faults, and not all plate boundaries are transform faults. Most transform faults are found on the ocean floor, where they often offset active spreading ridges to form a zigzag plate boundary. However, the best-known transform faults are found on land. As a general rule transform faults are strike-slip faults but not all strike-slip faults are transform faults. The term strike-slip or dip-slip refers to movement of one fault plane by another. The term transform fault is exclusively used when referring to plate boundaries.
