Mariana Plate

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Mariana Plate
280px
Type Minor
Approx. Area 360,000 km2[1]
Movement1 north-west
Speed1 39-51mm/year
Features Mariana Islands, Mariana Trench
1Relative to the African Plate
Cross section across the Mariana Plate

The Mariana Plate is a small tectonic plate located west of the Mariana Trench and forms the basement of the Mariana Islands. It is separated from the Philippine Sea Plate by a long divergent boundary with numerous transform fault offsets. The boundary between the Mariana and the Pacific Plate to the east is a subduction zone with the Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Mariana. The Mariana Trench forms the southeastern boundary and the Izu-Ogasawara Trench the northeastern boundary.[2]

The Mariana Islands earthquake of October 31, 2007 was a deep earthquake. It had a magnitude of 7.4 and occurred at 21.980° N. Lat. and 142.685° E. Long. at a depth of 261 km.[3]

References

  1. http://geology.about.com/library/bl/blplate_size_table.htm
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