South American Plate

E16609

The South American Plate is a major tectonic plate underlying the continent of South America and adjacent Atlantic seafloor, whose movements shape regional geology, mountain building, and seismic activity.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf lithospheric plate
major tectonic plate
tectonic plate
associatedWith Andean volcanic arc
Andes Mountains
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Peru–Chile Trench
borders African Plate
Antarctic Plate
Caribbean Plate
Cocos Plate
Nazca Plate
Scotia Plate
boundaryTypeWithAfricanPlate divergent plate boundary
boundaryTypeWithAntarcticPlate divergent plate boundary
boundaryTypeWithCaribbeanPlate complex plate boundary
boundaryTypeWithCocosPlate convergent plate boundary
boundaryTypeWithNazcaPlate convergent plate boundary
boundaryTypeWithScotiaPlate transform plate boundary
continent South America
continentalPortion South American continent
createsFeature Andean orogeny
Peru–Chile Trench
back-arc basins in South America
seismic activity along Andes
volcanic activity along Andes
hasBoundaryFeature Andean volcanic belt
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Peru–Chile Trench
influences South American mountain building
South American seismicity
regional geology of South America
locatedIn Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
movementDirection westward
movementRelativeToAfricanPlate westward away from African Plate
movementRelativeToNazcaPlate eastward overriding Nazca Plate
movementSpeed on the order of centimeters per year
namedAfter South America
oceanicPortion western South Atlantic Ocean floor
partOf Earth lithosphere
separatesFrom African Plate at Mid-Atlantic Ridge
subductionOf Nazca Plate
part of Cocos Plate
underlies South American continent
adjacent Atlantic Ocean seafloor


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