Which of the following tectonic plates is entirely oceanic and is located beneath the eastern Pacific Ocean, subducting under the South American Plate?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Nazca Plate is an entirely oceanic tectonic plate situated in the eastern Pacific Ocean that undergoes continuous subduction beneath the western margin of the South American Plate. This convergent plate boundary is directly responsible for the uplift of the Andes mountain system and frequent seismic activity. Plate tectonics forms a foundational topic in physical geography.