North American Plate - Definition and Overview

The North American Plate is a continental tectonic plate covering the continent of North America and extending eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The easterly side is a divergent boundary with the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south forming the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The southerly side is a boundary with the Cocos Plate to the west and the South American Plate to the east.

The westerly side is a convergent boundary with the subducting Juan de Fuca Plate to the north and a transform boundary with the Pacific Plate to the south along the San Andreas Fault.

On its western edge the Farallon Plate has been subducting under the North American Plate since the Jurassic period. The Farallon Plate has completely subducted beneath the southern portion of the North American Plate leaving that part of the North American Plate in contact with the Pacific Plate and creating the San Andreas Fault. The remains of the Farallon Plate, currently known as the Juan de Fuca Plate, are still subducting the northern portion of the North American Plate.

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