Explorer Plate

E11818

The Explorer Plate is a small tectonic plate off the coast of British Columbia that forms part of the complex plate boundary system between the Pacific and North American Plates.


Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf oceanic plate
tectonic plate
adjacentTo Cascadia Subduction Zone
surface form: Cascadia forearc

continental margin of North America
approximateArea small compared to major tectonic plates
associatedWith earthquakes off Vancouver Island
offshore volcanism
seismicity in Cascadia region
bordersWith Gorda Plate
Juan de Fuca Plate
North American Plate
Pacific Plate
countryOffshoreFrom Canada
formsPartOf complex plate boundary between Pacific and North American Plates
geologicalProcess spreading at mid-ocean ridge
subduction beneath continental margin
hasBoundaryType convergent boundary with North American Plate
divergent boundary with Pacific Plate
transform boundary segments
hasCrustAge relatively young oceanic crust
hasSpreadingCenter Explorer Ridge
hasTransformFault Nootka Fault
Sovanco Fracture Zone
influences seismic hazard in Pacific Northwest
seismic hazard in southwestern British Columbia
isFragmentOf Farallon Plate
Juan de Fuca Plate
surface form: Juan de Fuca Plate system
isLocatedNorthOf Juan de Fuca Plate
isLocatedWestOf Vancouver Island
isMonitoredBy seismological networks in Canada
seismological networks in United States
isPartOf Juan de Fuca Ridge
surface form: Juan de Fuca Ridge system
isSeparatedFrom Juan de Fuca Plate by Nootka Fault
Pacific Plate by Sovanco Fracture Zone
isSmallerThan North American Plate
Pacific Plate
lithosphereType oceanic lithosphere
locatedIn eastern Pacific Ocean
surface form: northeastern Pacific Ocean
locatedOffCoastOf British Columbia
partOf North American plate boundary system
plateBoundaryComplexity highly segmented and deforming
region offshore western Canada
relativeMotion moving northeast relative to Pacific Plate
moving west or northwest relative to North American Plate
subductionZoneName Cascadia Subduction Zone
surface form: Cascadia subduction zone
subductsBeneath North American Plate
tectonicSetting subduction and spreading regime

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Juan de Fuca Ridge associatedWith Explorer Plate
Nootka Fault associatedWith Explorer Plate
Juan de Fuca Plate borders Explorer Plate
Gorda Plate bordersWith Explorer Plate
Farallon Plate hasRemnant Explorer Plate
Explorer Ridge plateOnOneSide Explorer Plate
Explorer Ridge separates Explorer Plate
Nootka Fault separates Explorer Plate
Cascade Volcanic Arc subductionOf Explorer Plate