Given below is a map of the west coast of the United States. The red line depicts the San Andreas Fault, a transform boundary that runs parallel to the coast. The San Andreas Fault separates the North American plate on the east from the Pacific plate on the west.

Question

Image courtesy of USGS

Based on this information, which of the following most likely occurs near the San Andreas Fault?
A.
frequent earthquakes
B.
frequent droughts
C.
subduction of oceanic crust
D.
deposition of sediment

Answer 1

Given that the San Andreas Fault is a transform boundary, the most likely occurrence near the fault is:

A. frequent earthquakes

Transform boundaries are characterized by the lateral movement of tectonic plates past each other, which often results in seismic activity and frequent earthquakes.