Scotia Plate

E45983

microplate tectonic plate

The Scotia Plate is a small tectonic plate in the South Atlantic Ocean, located between the South American and Antarctic Plates and associated with the complex plate boundaries and seismic activity of the Scotia Sea region.

Aliases (2)

Scotia Plate boundary region ×1
Scotia Plate boundary zone ×1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	microplate → tectonic plate →
approximateArea	~1–3 million square kilometers →
associatedWith	South Sandwich Island arc volcanism → intermediate-depth earthquakes → seismic activity → shallow-focus earthquakes → subduction of South American Plate-derived lithosphere →
borderedBy	Antarctic Plate → Falkland microplate → Nazca Plate → Phoenix Plate remnant → Sandwich Plate → South American Plate → South Sandwich microplate →
boundedBy	spreading ridges → subduction zones → transform boundaries →
formedDuring	Cenozoic →
formedFrom	reorganization of South American–Antarctic plate boundary →
geodynamicRole	accommodates relative motion between South American and Antarctic Plates →
hasFeature	Bruce Bank → Discovery Bank → East Scotia Ridge → North Scotia Ridge → Scotia Sea → Shackleton Fracture Zone → South Sandwich Trench → South Scotia Ridge → Terror Rise →
hasSeafloorSpreadingCenter	East Scotia Ridge →
hasTrench	South Sandwich Trench →
locatedIn	Scotia Sea region → South Atlantic Ocean →
movementDirection	eastward relative to South American Plate → westward relative to Antarctic Plate →
namedAfter	Scotia Sea →
near	Drake Passage → South Georgia Island → South Orkney Islands → Tierra del Fuego →
partOf	Earth lithosphere →
relativeMotionTo	Antarctic Plate → South American Plate →
separates	Drake Passage region between South America and Antarctica →
subductsBeneath	South Sandwich microplate →
tectonicSetting	back-arc basin → oceanic plate →
typeLocality	Scotia Sea →

Referenced by (14)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Antarctic Plate → South American Plate →	borders
Scotia Ridge →	associatedWith
South Scotia Ridge →	formsBoundaryBetween
North Scotia Ridge →	formsBoundaryOf
Indo-Australian Plate →	hasBoundaryWith
South Sandwich Island Arc →	overridingPlate
Scotia Arc ("Scotia Plate boundary zone") →	partOf
North Scotia Ridge →	relatedFeature
Scotia Arc →	relatedTo
breakup of Gondwana →	resultsIn
Scotia Sea →	seafloorFeature
Scotia Ridge →	separates
Scotia Sea ("Scotia Plate boundary region") →	tectonicSetting