A conservative margin. Image by Expediatearcade.

A conservative margin. Image by Expediatearcade.

ZIMSEC O Level Geography Notes: Plate Tectonics: Transform Zones

  • At constructive zones plates slide sideways past each other.
  • In opposite directions in a tear or shear fashion.
  • At these margins lithosphere (land/oceanic crust) is neither created nor destroyed
  • That is neither plate is constructed or destroyed but they are both conserved thus giving rise to the term “conservative zones.”
  • Most transform zones are found on the sea floor where they connect segments of diverging  mid-ocean ridges.
  • Examples include the San Andreas Fault in California.
  • Other land-forms include rift valleys for example the Great African Rift Valley which extends from Kenya to Tanzania.
  • Localized lakes can also be found within these rift valleys for example Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania.

To access more topics go to the Geography Notes page.