Malpelo Ridge

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The Malpelo Ridge (Spanish : Dorsal de Malpelo) is an elevated part of Nazca plate off the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is a faulted chain of volcanic rock of tholeiitic composition. [1] The Malpelo Ridge may have originated simultaneously as Carnegie Ridge, and thus represent an old continuation of Cocos Ridge. [2] It is thought to have acquired it present position due to tectonic movements along the Panama fracture zone. [2]

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The geology of Costa Rica is part of the Panama Microplate, which is slowly moving north relative to the stable Caribbean Plate.

References

  1. Lonsdale, Peter; Fornari, Daniel (1980). "Submarine geology of Malpelo Ridge, Panama Basin". Marine Geology . 36 (1–2): 65–83. Bibcode:1980MGeol..36...65L. doi:10.1016/0025-3227(80)90041-9.
  2. 1 2 Marcaillou, Boris; Charvis, Philippe; Collot, Jean-Yves (2006). "Structure of the Malpelo Ridge (Colombia) from seismic and gravity modelling". Marine Geophysical Researches. 27 (4): 289–300. Bibcode:2006MarGR..27..289M. doi:10.1007/s11001-006-9009-y. S2CID   129634673.