North American Plate

E6038

lithospheric plate tectonic plate

The North American Plate is a major tectonic plate that underlies most of North America, parts of the Atlantic Ocean, and surrounding regions, playing a key role in shaping the continent’s geology and seismic activity.

Aliases (6)

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	lithospheric plate → tectonic plate →
approximateSpeed	about 1 to 2 centimeters per year relative to the mantle →
boundaryFeature	Cascadia subduction zone → Gulf of California rift zone → Mid-Atlantic Ridge → Queen Charlotte Fault → San Andreas Fault →
causes	earthquakes in western North America → seafloor spreading in the North Atlantic → volcanism in the Cascades →
containsFeature	Appalachian Mountains basement → Canadian Shield → interior North American craton →
continent	North America →
geologicalAge	assembled from older cratons in Precambrian time →
hasBoundaryType	convergent boundary → divergent boundary → transform boundary →
hasBoundaryWith	African Plate → Caribbean Plate → Cocos Plate → Eurasian Plate → Juan de Fuca Plate → Nazca Plate → Pacific Plate →
includesRegion	continental crust of North America → oceanic crust in western Atlantic Ocean → parts of Siberia (Chukotka microplate area) →
isSubductingOver	Cocos Plate in Mexico region → Juan de Fuca Plate at Cascadia →
meetsAtTripleJunction	Azores Triple Junction → Mendocino Triple Junction →
motionRelativeTo	Pacific Plate →
motionType	generally west-southwest relative to the mantle →
namedAfter	North America →
oceanicPartAge	Atlantic oceanic crust mostly Mesozoic and younger →
partOf	Earth lithosphere →
role	key role in North American seismic activity → key role in shaping North American geology →
separates	Pacific Ocean basin from interior of North America →
studyField	geophysics → plate tectonics →
type	major tectonic plate →
underlies	Greenland → most of North America → part of the Atlantic Ocean → parts of the Arctic Ocean seafloor → parts of the Caribbean region →

Referenced by (73)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Cocos Plate → Eurasian Plate → Juan de Fuca Plate → Okhotsk Plate → Pacific Plate → Rivera Plate →	movesRelativeTo
Cocos Plate → Explorer Plate → Gorda Plate → Juan de Fuca Plate → Pacific Plate →	subductsBeneath
Alaska Peninsula → Aleutian Islands → Brownson Deep → Ceboruco → Colima Volcano →	tectonicPlate
Appalachian orogeny ("Laurentia") → Mount Cayley → Pico de Orizaba → Sierra de las Cruces →	locatedOn
Aleutian Arc → Aleutian Trench → Kamchatka volcanic arc → Northeastern Japan Arc ("North American Plate (geophysical model)") →	overridingPlate
Nootka Fault → Pacific Ring of Fire → Ring of Fire →	associatedWith
Cocos Plate → Juan de Fuca Plate → Rivera Plate →	borders
Gulf of California rift zone → Pacific Plate → eastern Pacific Ocean →	boundedBy
Eurasian Plate → North American plate boundary system → Rivera Plate →	interactsWith
Amur Plate → Okhotsk Plate →	borderedBy
Explorer Plate → Gorda Plate →	bordersWith
Caribbean Plate → Eurasian Plate →	hasBoundaryWith
Explorer Plate → Rivera Plate →	isSmallerThan
Cocos Plate ("North American Plate at Mexico") → Juan de Fuca Plate →	overriddenBy
Mid-Atlantic Ridge → Puerto Rico Trench →	separates
Cape Mendocino → Þingvellir National Park →	tectonicPlateBoundary
Septentrional-Oriente fault zone →	accommodatesMotionBetween
Pacific coast of North America →	associatedWithPlate
Middle America Trench →	beneath
Aleutian Trench →	formsBoundaryBetween
San Andreas Fault ("North American Plate western margin in California") →	formsBoundaryOf
Aleutian Arc →	formsBoundaryWith
Baja California Peninsula ranges ("Pacific–North American plate boundary region") →	geologicalSetting
Pacific Ocean →	hasTectonicBoundary
Azores Triple Junction →	involvesPlate
Caribbean Plate →	isOverriddenBy
Rivera Plate →	isSubductingBeneath
Puerto Rico Trench ("North American Basin") →	oceanBasin
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt →	overlies
Cascade Volcanic Arc →	overridesPlate
Hayward Fault →	plateOnEastSide
African Plate →	separatingFrom
Farallon Plate →	subductedBeneath
Gakkel Ridge →	tectonicBoundaryBetween
Queen Charlotte Fault →	tectonicPlate2
San Andreas Fault →	tectonicPlateBoundaryBetween
Cascadia Subduction Zone →	tectonicPlateOverriding
Cayman Ridge →	tectonicSetting
Farallon Plate →	wasAdjacentTo