South Sandwich Island Arc

E87422

The South Sandwich Island Arc is a volcanic island chain in the South Atlantic Ocean formed by the subduction of the South American Plate beneath the Scotia Plate, featuring active volcanoes and associated deep-sea trenches.

Observed surface forms (4)


Statements (39)

Predicate Object
instanceOf subduction zone
volcanic island arc
associatedWith South Sandwich Trench
biogeographicCharacteristic remote and sparsely vegetated islands
climate sub-Antarctic
closestContinent Antarctica
South America
country United Kingdom
dominantMagmaComposition basaltic-andesitic
eruptiveStyle predominantly explosive
formedBy subduction of the South American Plate beneath the Scotia Plate
geodynamicRole accommodates relative motion between South American Plate and Scotia Plate
geologicalAge Cenozoic
governedAsPartOf British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands NERFINISHED
hasFeature active volcanoes
deep-sea trench
hasVolcanicEdifice stratovolcanoes
submarine volcanoes
hazard earthquakes
tsunamis
volcanic eruptions
includes South Sandwich Islands NERFINISHED
locatedIn South Atlantic
surface form: South Atlantic Ocean

South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean
Southern Hemisphere
marginType ocean-ocean convergent margin
oceanBasin South Atlantic
surface form: South Atlantic Ocean
oceanicCrustSubducted South American Plate
orientation north-south trending arc
overridingPlate Scotia Plate
partOf British Overseas Territories
Scotia Arc
researchUse natural laboratory for subduction-related volcanism
study of plate tectonics
seismicity high
subductionZoneType intra-oceanic subduction zone
tectonicSetting convergent plate boundary
volcanicActivity ongoing
volcanismType subduction-related volcanism

Referenced by (5)

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

South Sandwich Trench associatedWith South Sandwich Island Arc
this entity surface form: South Sandwich subduction zone
South Sandwich Trench associatedWith South Sandwich Island Arc
this entity surface form: South Sandwich volcanic arc
Scotia Arc extendsTo South Sandwich Island Arc
this entity surface form: South Sandwich Islands region
Scotia Arc hasPart South Sandwich Island Arc
this entity surface form: South Sandwich Arc
South Sandwich Trench partOf South Sandwich Island Arc