ASBOG Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The geological feature that is defined by movement in both vertical and horizontal directions is a transform fault. Transform faults are characterized by the lateral sliding of tectonic plates past one another. This movement involves the plates grinding horizontally against each other, leading to horizontal displacement along the fault line. However, in many cases, there can also be vertical displacement associated with these movements depending on the specific tectonic setting and the nature of surrounding geological features.

Transform faults typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates and are associated with complex movements, making them distinct from other types of faults that primarily exhibit vertical movement, like normal and reverse faults, which involve extension or compression, respectively. The combination of both vertical and horizontal movement in transform faults can lead to significant geological activity, such as earthquakes, as the stress accumulates and is released along the fault line.