Geological process
The fracturing of rock and displacement of the blocks on either side. The sense of that displacement — normal, reverse or strike-slip — records the orientation of the stresses that produced it.
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Plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the world’s earthquakes occur on these faults, because the rough edges of plates get stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: Wald n.d. Primary authority
Transform faults connect two spreading centres or, less commonly, trenches; most are found on the ocean floor, where they offset the active spreading ridges and produce zig-zag plate margins.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: Kious 1996 Primary authority
Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.