North Galapagos Microplate
The Galapagos Plate
TypeMinor
Movement1Counterclockwise 90 degrees
Speed1undefined
FeaturesPacific Ocean
1Relative to the African Plate

The North Galapagos Microplate is a small tectonic plate off the west coast of South America north of the Galapagos Islands.3°45′N 101°45′W / 3.75°N 101.75°W / 3.75; -101.75[1] It is rotating counterclockwise between three much larger crustal plates around it, the Nazca, Cocos and Pacific Plates. To its south, another small microplate, the Galapagos Microplate is likewise rotating, but clockwise.[2] Both microplates "mesh" along the interface between them.

References

  1. ^ "Columbia University Researchers Find Key to the Formation of New Seafloor Spreading Centers". December 3, 2002. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  2. ^ "Galapagos Microplate". February 23, 2005. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.

Bird, P. (2003) An updated digital model of plate boundaries, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 4(3), 1027, doi:10.1029/2001GC000252. [1]


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