Nazca plate

Galapagos Graphics: The location of the Nazca plate (Public Domain)

The location of the Nazca plate (Public Domain)

The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the west coast of South America which the Galapagos islands sit on. It is the movement of the Nazca Plate over a hotspot that has formed the Galapagos Archipelago.

Glossary of Galapagos