Answer – The San Andreas Fault is a transform boundary between the North American and Pacific plates.
Explanation:
Plate boundaries are the zones where two different tectonic plates come in contact with each other. Based on the movement of the two plates against each other, there are three types of plate boundaries – convergent, divergent and transform.
The San Andreas Fault is the most striking example of a transform plate boundary. In this type of boundary, or fault, the two plates are sliding horizontally past each other in opposite directions. They grind against one another, causing shearing in the crust.
The San Andreas Fault lies along the edges of the North American plate and the Pacific plate. The movement of these plates is not a steady one. Instead, pressure builds even as the plates don’t move, until it reaches a point. Then the plates jerk into motion against each other, triggering earthquakes in the zone adjacent to the fault.
