The 'Scotia Plate' is an oceanic
tectonic plate bordering the
South American Plate on the north, the
South Sandwich microplate to the east, and the
Antarctic Plate on the south and west.
The north and south boundaries of the plate are
transform fault boundaries. At the eastern margin the Scotia has a
spreading boundary between it and the small Sandwich plate. The South Sandwich microplate is subducting in the east under the ocean floor on the
South American Plate, which is thought to have brought about its separation from the Scotia Plate, starting as
backarc spreading. The western boundary with the Antarctic plate is a complex and rather ill-defined boundary.
There is some speculation that the westward motion of the South American Plate may have forced the
Caribbean and Scotia Plates at its northern and southern ends respectively to squeeze around it. Both share a similar shape and are being subducted along their eastern boundary.
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References
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South Sandwich microplate
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Motion of Scotia plate