transform fault

noun

trans·​form fault ˈtran(t)s-ˌfȯrm- How to pronounce transform fault (audio)
: a strike-slip fault that occurs typically between segments of a mid-ocean ridge or other tectonic-plate boundary and that is characterized by shallow high-magnitude earthquakes

Examples of transform fault in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The recorded history of earthquakes in the region goes back hundreds of years, according to the USGS, which said Monday's temblor happened in either the East Anatolia fault zone or the Dead Sea transform fault zone. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 6 Feb. 2023 The swarm occurred along the Blanco Fracture Zone, a transform fault zone off the coast of Oregon where tectonic plates slide past each other. Jennifer Calfas, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2021 Unlike the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where plates are sliding under one another, the San Andreas Fault is known as a transform fault, the tectonic plates are moving laterally, sliding past each other. oregonlive, 6 Dec. 2019 Much of California, including Los Angeles and the Bay Area, on the other hand, are positioned right on top of the San Andreas fault, a transform fault, where two plates slide past each other. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 18 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transform fault.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of transform fault was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near transform fault

Cite this Entry

“Transform fault.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transform%20fault. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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