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.
