EXPLORE: Convection Currents and Plate Tectonics

San Andreas Fault, CA. Photo courtesy of Ben+Sam/Flickr.

Transform boundaries are often located near divergent and convergent plate boundaries. Transform faults are very numerous along the mid-ocean ridges, as well as at subduction zones. For example, the San Andreas fault (perhaps one of the most famous transform boundaries) was created as a result of subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate under the North American plate.

Therefore, transform boundaries and their associated plate movement can be related to both the upward and/or downward part of the convection currents in Earth's mantle. Because they are associated with both parts of the convection current cycle, they can also be related to both ridge push and slab pull.

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