Landforms of South America

The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate in the southeastern Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America. Its subduction beneath South America is responsible for the Andes Mountains. The Galápagos hotspot is responsible for the Galápagos Islands.

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano is situated northwest of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá. Part of the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes, the volcano is one of several that lie within Los Nevados National Natural Park. Its 1985 eruption was the fourth-deadliest in recorded history.

Nevado Tres Cruces National Park is located in the Atacama Region of Chile and includes Laguna Santa Rosa, Laguna del Negro Francisco and a part of the Salar de Maricunga. The park is named after the Nevado Tres Cruces massif which dominates the landscape of the area.

The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate, made up almost entirely of oceanic crust, that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At an estimated 40,000,000 sq miles in size, it is Earth's largest tectonic plate.

The Paracas National Reserve is a protected area in Peru that protects desert and marine ecosystems, including the Paracas Peninsula and Paracas Bay. The Ballestas Islands are a group of small islands off the coast of the peninsula that are an important sanctuary for marine fauna.