Plate Tectonics / Volcanism

The Andean Volcanic Belt, along the South American coast, is segmented into four main volcanic zones. These volcanoes, along the backbone of the Andes, are part of the Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific Ocean basin where earthquakes and eruptions occur due to the collision of tectonic plates.

The Antarctic Plate is a major tectonic plate located beneath the continent of Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean, bordered by four other tectonic plates. It is home to several glaciers as well as the Transantarctic Mountains.

The Caribbean Plate is a mostly-oceanic tectonic plate underlying much of Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South America. These borders are regions of intense seismic activity, including frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Cayman Trench is a submarine trench on the floor of the western Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and the southeastern tip of Cuba. The Cayman Ridge is an undersea mountain range on the northern margin of the Cayman Trough and includes the Cayman Islands.

The Central America Volcanic Arc is a chain of hundreds of volcanic formations that extend from Guatemala to northern Panama, parallel to the Pacific coastline of the Central American Isthmus. These volcanic formations range from major stratovolcanoes to lava domes and cinder cones.

The Chile Triple Junction is a geologic triple junction located on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean off the Taitao and Tres Montes Peninsulas on the southern coast of Chile. Here the South American, Nazca, and Antarctic tectonic plates meet.

The Cocos Plate is a tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Central America. It is named after Cocos Island, the only emergent island on the plate. It is bordered by the Caribbean, North American, Pacific, and Nazca tectonic plates.

Kick 'em Jenny is an active submarine volcano in the Grenadines that rises about 1,300 m (4,265 ft) above the surrounding floor of the Caribbean Sea. It is the southernmost active volcano in the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc and the only active submarine volcano.

The Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc forms the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Plate. This subduction process formed a number of volcanic islands, from the Virgin Islands in the north to the islands off the coast of Venezuela in the south.