Search Results - Caribbean Plate
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The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South America. Roughly 3.2 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) in area, the Caribbean Plate borders the North American Plate, the South American Plate, the Nazca Plate and the Cocos Plate. These borders are regions of intense seismic activity, including frequent earthquakes, occasional tsunamis,[1] and volcanic eruptions. The northern boundary with the North American plate is a transform or strike-slip boundary which runs from the border area of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras in Central America, eastward through the Cayman trough on south of the southeast coast of Cuba, and just north of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Part of the Puerto Rico Trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean (roughly 8,400 meters), lies along this border. The Puerto Rico trench is at a complex transition from the subduction boundary to the south and the transform boundary to the west. The eastern boundary is a subduction zone, but since the boundary between the North and South American Plates in the Atlantic is as yet undefined, it is unclear which one, or possibly both, is descending under the Caribbean Plate. Subduction forms the volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles island arc from the Virgin Islands in the north to the islands off the coast of Venezuela in the south. This boundary contains seventeen active volcanoes, most notably Soufriere Hills on Montserrat, Mount Pelée on Martinique, La Grande Soufrière on Guadeloupe, Soufrière Saint Vincent on Saint Vincent, and the submarine volcano Kick-'em-Jenny which lies about 10 km north of Grenada.
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Showing 1 to 2 of 2 Articles matching 'Caribbean Plate' in related articles. |
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1. Caribbean Islands
August 02, 2007
Caribbean Islands The Caribbean islands have been luring travelers from around the world for centuries. Most famous for their beaches-palm-backed sugar-soft sand, striking crystal clear blue sea and the peaceful easy life it exudes. It is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America.
Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the area comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, an... (read more)
Author: Todd Sarouhan
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2. Caribbean Travel
March 13, 2006
The Caribbean, or the West Indies, is a group of islands and countries that are situated in, or border the Caribbean Sea, which lies on the Caribbean Plate. The islands of the Caribbean are located to the south and the east of Mexico. There are at least 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays in the region. The term "Caribbean" is used to refer to the islands of the Caribbean Sea, although sometimes those lying on the continental American coastline are included.If a holiday on the beaches is the traveler’s interest, then the enchanting and exhilarating Caribbean is just the destination to visit.... (read more)
Author: Damian Sofsian
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