List of fracture zones

Some use the term "transform fault" to describe the seismically and tectonically active portion of a fracture zone after John Tuzo Wilson's concepts first developed with respect to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Fracture zones being subducted under Southern and Central America are generally southwest–northeast oriented reflecting the relative motion of Cocos, Nazca and the Antarctic plates.

The fracture zones of the Chile Rise trend in a west to east fashion with the most southern ones taking a slightly more southwest to northeast orientation.

[5]: 70–73 (some are inactive)[6] Surveyor, Molokai, Pioneer and Murray fracture zones shown in the list were created by ridge segments that no longer exist.

[6] In the Atlantic Ocean most fracture zones originate from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs from north to south, and are therefore west to east oriented in general.

Major active fractures zones worldwide are in the orange shaded areas perpendicular to the black lines of the mid-ocean ridges of the major oceanic plates.
Major Pacific trenches (1–10) and fracture zones (11–20): 1. Kermadec 2. Tonga 3. Bougainville 4. Mariana 5. Izu–Ogasawara 6. Japan 7. Kuril–Kamchatka 8. Aleutian 9. Middle America 10. Peru–Chile 11. Mendocino 12. Murray 13. Molokai 14. Clarion 15. Clipperton 16. Challenger 17. Eltanin 18. Udintsev 19. East Pacific Rise (S-shaped) 20. Nazca Ridge
Map of the Chile Rise and its fracture zones in Nazca and the Antarctic plates
Active Pacific Ocean fracture zones are perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges (black lines) in orange shaded region. Since the map was prepared ages not shown of south-west Pacific and north Pacific Ocean floors may have been characterised.
A map of the Juan de Fuca plate
Age of ocean floor, with fracture zones in the north Pacific Ocean. Hawaii-Emperor seamount chain in black.
Major fractures zones of the Atlantic can be seen on this ocean depth map
Active Atlantic Ocean fracture zones are perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges (black lines) in orange shaded region
Active Indian Ocean fracture zones are perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges (black lines) in orange shaded region
Active Southern Ocean fracture zones are perpendicular to the mid-ocean ridges (black lines) in orange shaded region