Azores Triple Junction
39°26′N 29°50′W / 39.44°N 29.83°W
The Azores Triple Junction (ATJ) is a geologic triple junction where the boundaries of three tectonic plates intersect: the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. This triple junction is located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) amidst the Azores islands, nearly due west of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is classed as an R-R-R triple junction of the T type (for its shape), as it is an intersection of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge running north–south and the Terceira Rift which runs east-southeast.
The spreading rate along the MAR does not change abruptly at the ATJ, instead decreasing from 22.9±0.1 mm/yr at 40°N to 19.8±0.2 mm/yr at 38°N. This means the ATJ is not a simple triple junction where three tectonic plates meet at a point. The transitional range of spreading rates instead indicates the presence of a
References
Notes
- doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.08.051.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ DeMets, Gordon & Argus 2010, The Azores microplate, pp. 24–25
Sources
- da Silva Fernandes, R. M. (2004). Present-Day Kinematics at the Azores-Gibraltar Plate Boundary as Derived from GPS Observations (PDF). Delft University Press. ISBN 9040725578. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- DeMets, C.; Gordon, R. G.; Argus, D. F. (2010). "Geologically current plate motions". Geophysical Journal International. 181 (1): 1–80. .
- Tectonics of the Azores
External links