Is the Cocos Plate Convergent or Divergent?

The Cocos Plate is a tectonic plate located beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Central America. It is primarily involved in convergent boundaries.

At its northern edge, the Cocos Plate is subducting beneath the North American Plate, forming the Middle America Trench. This subduction zone is responsible for the volcanic activity in Central America, including the formation of the Andes Mountains.

On its western edge, the Cocos Plate interacts with the Pacific Plate at a divergent boundary, where the two plates are moving away from each other. This divergence creates new oceanic crust as magma rises to fill the gap.

In summary, the Cocos Plate exhibits both convergent and divergent boundaries, but its primary interaction is convergent, especially along its northern edge where it subducts beneath the North American Plate.

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