Where are the tectonic plates in South America?

The Nazca plate is a large tectonic plate that underlies the Pacific Ocean near the western coast of South America. It is subducting under (that is, being forced under) the South American plate.

What tectonic plate is south?

African Plate
One example of a ridge is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an undersea chain of mountains that formed as two pairs of tectonic plates spread apart: the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate in the north, and the South American Plate and the African Plate in the south.

Which coast of South America has a convergent plate boundary?

The Andes Mountain Range of western South America is another example of a convergent boundary between an oceanic and continental plate. Here the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American plate.

What plate boundaries are Antarctic and south American plates?

The Antarctic Plate is bounded almost entirely by extensional mid-ocean ridge systems. The adjoining plates are the Nazca Plate, the South American Plate, the African Plate, the Somali Plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, the Pacific Plate, and, across a transform boundary, the Scotia Plate.

Is South American Plate continental or oceanic?

The South American Plate is a major tectonic plate which includes the continent of South America as well as a sizable region of the Atlantic Ocean seabed extending eastward to the African Plate, with which it forms the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge .

What are the major plates?

Major plates. Scientists have named the largest plates for the continents and oceans they contain. The seven largest plates are the North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, African Plate, Antarctic Plate, South American Plate, Indo-Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate.

How many tectonic plates are under North America?

There are seven major tectonic plates (North America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Indo-Australian, Pacific, and Antarctica) as well as many smaller, microplates such as the Juan de Fuca plate near the United States’ state of Washington (map of plates).

Is the South American plate oceanic?

The South American Plate is a major tectonic plate which includes the continent of South America as well as a sizable region of the Atlantic Ocean seabed extending eastward to the African Plate, with which it forms the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.