South American Plate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South American Plate |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Major |
| Approximate area | 43,600,000 km2 (16,800,000 sq mi) |
| Movement1 | West |
| Speed1 | 27–34 mm (1.1–1.3 in)/year |
| Features | South America, Atlantic Ocean |
| 1Relative to the African Plate | |
The South American Plate is a huge piece of the Earth's outer shell. It includes the entire continent of South America. It also covers a large part of the Atlantic Ocean floor. This plate stretches eastward until it meets the African Plate. Together, they form the southern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is like a giant underwater mountain range.
Contents
What is the South American Plate?
The Earth's surface is made of several large pieces called tectonic plates. These plates are always moving, very slowly. The South American Plate is one of the biggest ones. Its edges meet other plates, and these meeting points are called plate boundaries.
Where are the Plate Boundaries?
The South American Plate has different types of boundaries around it:
- East side: It pulls away from the African Plate. This is called a divergent boundary. It's where new ocean floor is created.
- South side: It has a complex boundary with the Antarctic Plate, the Scotia Plate, and the Sandwich Plate.
- West side: It crashes into the Nazca Plate. This is a convergent boundary. Here, one plate slides under another. This process is called subduction.
- North side: It meets the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate.
How Does the Plate Move?
Scientists believe the South American Plate is slowly moving west. It moves away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Because of this movement, the Nazca Plate, which is denser, is sliding underneath the western edge of the South American Plate. This happens along the Pacific coast of South America. The Nazca Plate moves under the South American Plate at about 77 millimeters (about 3 inches) per year.
What Happens When Plates Collide?
When the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate crash into each other, amazing things happen:
- Andes Mountains: This collision is what built the massive Andes Mountains. This process of mountain building is called orogeny.
- Volcanoes: The collision also creates many volcanoes along the Andes. These include tall, cone-shaped stratovolcanoes and wider, flatter shield volcanoes.
See also
- Fifteen-Twenty Fracture Zone
