At the boundary between the Nazca plate and the South American plate, there are strings of earthquakes and several volcanoes. There is no ridge present at this boundary. Which type of boundary is this?

Answer 1

The boundary between the Nazca plate and the South American plate is a convergent boundary. At this type of boundary, one tectonic plate is being forced under another in a process known as subduction. The Nazca plate, which is an oceanic plate, is subducting beneath the continental South American plate. This interaction leads to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity due to the melting of the subducted plate and the associated geological processes. The absence of a ridge at this boundary further indicates that it is not a divergent boundary, which typically features a mid-ocean ridge where plates are pulling apart.