Near-bottom Observations of an Active Transform Fault (Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 37° N)

THE role of transform faults and fracture zones in plate tectonics has been well established^1-3. Although these purely geometrical concepts are successful in explaining the role of transform faults in the context of large-scale plate motions, they fail to describe adequately the tectonics of these complex features⁴. The geology and structural evolution of transform faults are not well known but are of fundamental importance in understanding ridge crest tectonic processes.