Azores Triple Junction

The Azores Triple Junction

The Azores Triple Junction is a geologic triple junction where the boundaries of three tectonic plates intersect: the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate. This triple junction is located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge amidst the Azores islands, nearly due west of the Straits of Gibraltar. It is classed as a R-R-R triple junction, T type (for its shape), as it is an intersection of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge running north-south and the Terceira Rift which runs east-southeast.

References

• Present-Day Kinematics at the Azores-Gibraltar Plate Boundary as Derived from GPS Observations, by R.M. da Silva Fernandes, published by Delft University Press, 2004.
• Tectonics of the Azores