Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2007, Nazca Plate and South America
Open-File Report
2010-1083-E
Links
- More information: USGS Index Page (html)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The South American arc extends over 7,000 km, from the Chilean triple junction offshore of southern Chile to its intersection with the Panama fracture zone, offshore the southern coast of Panama in Central America. It marks the plate boundary between the subducting Nazca plate and the South America plate, where the oceanic crust and lithosphere of the Nazca plate begin their decent into the mantle beneath South America. The convergence associated with this subduction process is responsible for the uplift of the Andes Mountains, and for the active volcanic chain present along much of this deformation front. Relative to a fixed South America plate the Nazca plate moves slightly north of eastwards at a rate varying from approximately 80 mm/yr in the south to approximately 70mm/yr in the north.
Suggested Citation
Rhea, S., Hayes, G.P., Villasenor, A.H., Furlong, K.P., Tarr, A.C., Benz, H., 2010, Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2007, Nazca Plate and South America: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1083, Map, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20101083E.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
ISSN: 0196-1497 (print)
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2007, Nazca Plate and South America |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 2010-1083 |
| Chapter | E |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20101083E |
| Year Published | 2010 |
| Language | ENGLISH |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | Geologic Hazards Science Center |
| Description | Map |
| Time Range Start | 1900-01-01 |
| Time Range End | 2007-12-31 |
| Scale | 12000000 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |