The eastern coast of South America is a passive margin, rather than a plate boundary.
A passive continental margin is not tectonically active, meaning it does not experience significant geological activity like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. In contrast, an active continental margin is located near a tectonic plate boundary, leading to geological activity such as subduction zones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
On a passive continental margin, you can find thick sedimentary layers, wide continental shelves, and less seismic activity compared to an active continental margin.
Subduction. A subduction trench.
At a passive continental margin, you would find a continental shelf, which is the shallow, relatively flat platform extending from the shoreline, and a continental slope, which is a steeply sloping transition zone between the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
The portion of the continental margin that serves as a boundary between the oceanic crust and the continental crust is called the continental shelf. This is the shallowest part of the margin, located between the shoreline and the continental slope.
Passive continental margin.
A passive continental margin is not tectonically active, meaning it does not experience significant geological activity like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. In contrast, an active continental margin is located near a tectonic plate boundary, leading to geological activity such as subduction zones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
On a passive continental margin, you can find thick sedimentary layers, wide continental shelves, and less seismic activity compared to an active continental margin.
On an active continental margin, you would be likely to find an active ocean trench. This structure would generally not occur at a passive continental margin.
Subduction. A subduction trench.
A continental rise.
Subduction. A subduction trench.
At a passive continental margin, you would find a continental shelf, which is the shallow, relatively flat platform extending from the shoreline, and a continental slope, which is a steeply sloping transition zone between the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
The portion of the continental margin that serves as a boundary between the oceanic crust and the continental crust is called the continental shelf. This is the shallowest part of the margin, located between the shoreline and the continental slope.
An active continental margin may have a trench.
A passive continental margin is characterized by a broad, gently sloping continental shelf and is typically associated with tectonically stable regions, where there is little to no seismic activity. In contrast, an active margin is located near tectonic plate boundaries and is marked by significant geological activity, including earthquakes and volcanic activity. Essentially, a passive margin has a well-defined continental shelf and a lack of tectonic activity, while an active margin does not.
The eastern boundary of the North American plate is primarily characterized by a passive margin, where the continental crust transitions into oceanic crust along the Atlantic Ocean. This type of boundary is marked by a lack of significant tectonic activity, as there are no major plate interactions such as subduction or collision. Instead, it features features like broad continental shelves and sedimentary basins formed by the gradual separation of the North American plate from the Eurasian plate.