South American Plate

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South American Plate
The South American Plate
TypeMajor
Approximate area43,600,000 km2 (16,800,000 sq mi)[1]
Movement1West
Speed127–34 mm (1.1–1.3 in)/year
FeaturesSouth America, Atlantic Ocean
1Relative to the African Plate

The South American Plate is a major

tectonic plate which includes the continent of South America as well as a sizable region of the Atlantic Ocean seabed extending eastward to the African Plate, with which it forms the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
.

The easterly edge is a

Chile Rise
is actively subducting under the South American Plate.

Geological research suggests that the South American Plate is moving west away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: "Parts of the plate boundaries consisting of alternations of relatively short transform fault and spreading ridge segments are represented by a boundary following the general trend."

Andes Mountains and for creating the numerous volcanoes (including both stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes) that are strewn throughout the Andes.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Here are the Sizes of Tectonic or Lithospheric Plates". about.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  2. doi:10.1029/91jb01123
    .
  3. ISBN 9780784410615. Archived from the original
    on November 14, 2012.
  4. ^ "Convergent Plate Boundaries - Oceanic/Continental: The Andes". The Geological Society. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. ^ Penvenne, Laura Jean (27 January 1996). "South America buckles under the pressure". New Scientist. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
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