How would you describe the motion of the North American plate relative along the San Andreas fault, relative to the Pacific plate?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

We are asked to describe the motion of the North American plate along the San Andreas fault, relative to the Pacific plate.
Option A: 'moving to the northwest' – This would imply the North American plate is moving toward the northwest relative to the Pacific plate. Geologically, the Pacific Plate is moving northwest relative to the North American Plate along this transform boundary, so saying the North American Plate moves northwest relative to the Pacific Plate is inconsistent with the established relative motion.
Option B: 'moving to the southeast' – This matches the established sense of motion at the San Andreas fault, where the Pacific Plate moves northwest past the North American Plate, which corresponds to the North American Plate moving southeast relative to the Pacific Plate. This interpretation aligns with the transform (strike-slip) boundary behavior and the right-lateral sense of motion commonly described for the region.
Option C: 'moving to the northeast' – A northeastward relative motion would not describe the paleomagnetically and seismologically constrained slip direction along the San Andreas, and it contradicts the well-documented northwest drift of the Pacific Plate relative to North American Plate.
Option D: 'moving to the southwest' – A southwestward relative motion would place the North American Plate moving opposite to the observed plate-convergence/relative slip at this boundary, which is not supported by the global plate motion framework for this zone.
In short, the scenario described by the question requires interpreting the relative motion at a transform boundary: the Pacific Plate moves northwest past the North American Plate, so the North American Plate moves southeast relative to the Pacific Plate. This makes option B the consistent choice with known plate tectonics in this region.

GEO 1030-090 Fall 2025 GEO 1030-090 Final Exam

How would you describe the motion of the North American plate relative along the San Andreas fault, relative to the Pacific plate?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Subduction zones ____.

What event split Baja from mainland Mexico to form the Gulf of California? Select the one best answer.

Place the following events in the geologic history of California in chronological order, with 1 being oldest and 5 youngest. 1: intrusion of 90% of the Sierran Batholith 2: formation of a passive margin 3: development of an Andean-type margin 4: terrane accretion 5: erosion to expose the batholith

Match the geologic province of California with its corresponding tectonic setting. 1: Sierran Batholith 2: Central Valley 3: Franciscan 4: Accreted terranes

Question at position 24 Which of the following DOES NOT provide evidence that continents move by plate tectonicsVolcanic hot spot tracksGPS measurements of plate motionSymmetric magnetic stripes on each side of mid ocean ridgesUsing seismic waves to determine that the Earth's outer core is liquid

Question at position 37 Which one statement below is not correct?Temperature and pressure both increase with increasing depth.One source of Earth’s internal heat is the decay of radioactive elements.Convection in the outer core is responsible for plate tectonics.Clear my selection

The movement of tectonic plates is driven by which of the following?

The following statement provides the best possible explanation as to why many high mountain ranges are found at some distance from plate boundaries, such as the Rocky Mountains of the western United States and Canada that are found some distance away from the San Andreas fault.

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler

GEO 1030-090 Fall 2025 GEO 1030-090 Final Exam

How would you describe the motion of the North American plate relative along the San Andreas fault, relative to the Pacific plate?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Subduction zones ____.​

What event split Baja from mainland Mexico to form the Gulf of California? Select the one best answer.

Place the following events in the geologic history of California in chronological order, with 1 being oldest and 5 youngest. 1: intrusion of 90% of the Sierran Batholith 2: formation of a passive margin 3: development of an Andean-type margin 4: terrane accretion 5: erosion to expose the batholith

Match the geologic province of California with its corresponding tectonic setting. 1: Sierran Batholith 2: Central Valley 3: Franciscan 4: Accreted terranes

Question at position 24 Which of the following DOES NOT provide evidence that continents move by plate tectonicsVolcanic hot spot tracksGPS measurements of plate motionSymmetric magnetic stripes on each side of mid ocean ridgesUsing seismic waves to determine that the Earth's outer core is liquid

Question at position 37 Which one statement below is not correct?Temperature and pressure both increase with increasing depth.One source of Earth’s internal heat is the decay of radioactive elements.Convection in the outer core is responsible for plate tectonics.Clear my selection

The movement of tectonic plates is driven by which of the following?

The following statement provides the best possible explanation as to why many high mountain ranges are found at some distance from plate boundaries, such as the Rocky Mountains of the western United States and Canada that are found some distance away from the San Andreas fault.

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Making Your Study Simpler

Subduction zones ____.