At this location both plates consist of oceanic lithosphere. This helps to create volcanoes inland from the subduction zone that marks the border between the two plates. Size of the trench The trench between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate is 3540 km (2,200 miles) long. Research the exact locations of these plate boundaries and draw them on your map. The molten mantle rock produced by this subduction is responsible for the major volcanoes in the Cascade Range. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. West of the Rockies the volcanic activity is due to the westward movement of the Pacific plate meeting the eastward movement of the Pacific Plate. We feel earthquakes as plates slide past each other at transform boundaries, and we witness active volcanoes where other plates subduct beneath the North American Plate. North America Plate has been shaped into a profile of the United States like those we often see in souvenir stands at Yellowstone or Mount Rushmore. Plate tectonics is the main force of nature responsible for the geologic history of North America. This results in the aforesaid volcanic and geothermal activity. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Over ages of geologic time, the plates have come together to form the continents, including North America. Sheila has a master's degree in geology and has taught middle school through university-level science courses. The craton at the core of North America is … At the geological heart of all continents are cratons, the oldest and most stable parts, usually found in the center of tectonic plates. The Juan de Fuca and Gorda ridges mark the divergent plate boundary (the spreading ridge) with the Pacific plate. The lithosphere is made up of large moving and broken pieces of rock called tectonic plates. The quake struck with a moment magnitude of 6.9 on October 17, just before the start of the third game of the World Series, which was being held at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. So far, we've only discussed the North American Plate's boundaries. North American Plate One of the present-day major lithospheric plates, the N. American Plate extends from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the east to a complex pattern of subduction zones and transform faults which form its boundaries with the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Gorda, Cocos, Caribbean, and South American Plates in the west and south. It’s believed that the North American (Laurentian) craton is 4 billion years old. Site of the boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate, Iceland. One of the most extraordinary North America facts concerns just how old the land is. The southerly side is a transform boundary with the Pacific Plate along the Mendocino Fault. The eastern and southeastern parts of the Pacific Plate jostles against the Juan de Fuca, Cocos, and Nazca Plates, … Be sure to include the direction of the other plate movement at the same location. On the North American Plate, we find volcanoes in Alaska that result from the subduction of the Pacific Plate. Discuss the relative level of earthquake activity at the three North American plate boundaries. - Definition, History & Facts, General Studies Earth & Space Science: Help & Review, UExcel Pathophysiology: Study Guide & Test Prep, College Chemistry: Homework Help Resource, Preventing & Managing Chronic Diseases Through Nutrition, Nutrition Research: Design Process & Types of Studies, Nutrients of Concern: Definition & Dietary Guidelines, Reading & Interpreting Ingredient Lists on Food Labels, Artificial Sweeteners: Consumption & Health Impacts, Quiz & Worksheet - Types of RNA & How It Differs from DNA, Quiz & Worksheet - Chemical Structure of Nucleic Acids & Phosphodiester Bonds, Quiz & Worksheet - Double Helix Structure and Hereditary Molecule, Quiz & Worksheet - Elements of DNA & Complementary Base Pairing, Prentice Hall Earth Science Chapter 12: Geologic Time, Prentice Hall Earth Science Chapter 13: Earth's History, Prentice Hall Earth Science Chapter 15: Ocean Water and Ocean Life, Prentice Hall Earth Science Chapter 18: Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation, Prentice Hall Earth Science Chapter 22: Origin of Modern Astronomy, Biology 202L: Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab, Biology 201L: Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab, California Sexual Harassment Refresher Course: Supervisors, California Sexual Harassment Refresher Course: Employees.