Chapter 27, Problem 19RQ

To determine

The name of plate boundary which separates the North America plate from the Pacific Plate.

Answer to Problem 19RQ

The transform plate boundary separates the North America plate from the Pacific plate.

Explanation of Solution

The type of plate boundaries which slides each other neither pull apart nor collide to each other, just like the divergent (this occurs due to the spreading centers of two plates) and the convergent (this occur due to the collision between two plates to each other) plate boundaries are known as the transform plate boundaries.

The Pacific Plate moves at a rate of about $5\text{cm}$ per year relative to the North American plate in the northwest direction. Since two plates slide past each other, hence North plate and Pacific plates are separated by the transform plate boundary.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the transform plate boundary separates the North America plate from the Pacific plate.