Pacificplattan

Pacificplattan is the term commonly used in some languages to denote the Pacific Plate, one of Earth's major tectonic plates. It underlies most of the Pacific Ocean and parts of surrounding continents. The plate is primarily oceanic crust and is the largest of the Earth's tectonic plates by area, covering roughly 103 million square kilometers.

It moves relative to the underlying mantle at a rate of approximately 7 to 11 centimeters per year, generally in a northwestward direction. It is bordered by a complex set of subduction zones, transform boundaries, and divergent boundaries. These margins are associated with deep trenches, volcanic arcs, and frequent earthquakes, collectively known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Pacific Plate formed through seafloor spreading during the Mesozoic era and has since grown by the creation of new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges while older crust is consumed at subduction zones. Its interactions with neighboring plates have driven much of the tectonic and seismic activity around the world's oceans.

See also Plate tectonics; Ring of Fire; List of tectonic plates.