Plate Tectonics
El Salvador lies between two areas of active tectonic plate movement, Caribbean plate and alongside of the Cocos plate, which has been engaged in a titanic struggle for eons. The process of subduction happens in southern El Salvador on the Pacific Ocean side, where the Cocos plate pushes itself under the motionless Caribbean Plate, causing frequent earthquakes near the coast.
As the ocean floor is forced down, the submerged rocks melt and the molten material spews up through fissures, producing volcano and geysers. North of El Salvador, Mexico and most of Guatemala are riding on the westward-movie North American Plate that Butts against the northern edge of the stationary Caribbean Plate in southern Guatemala. The grading action of thesis two plates creates a fault, this has caused El Salvador to have a long history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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Nice tectonic reflection- Looking forward to what you'll discover about their seismicity next week!
ReplyDeleteHello Itzani! Great post about the tectonic plate locations around El Salvador. Compared to the country I chose in Jamaica, it is closer to the Caribbean plate, but not the Cocos plate. It's interesting to know that El Salvador has had a long history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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