The Tectonic and Volcanic Activity of Costa Rican Pacific Coast in its associated development of the Caribbean
Michael Harty
Department of Geology and Geography
Denison University
Abstract
The Caribbean plate has a well-recorded geologic history that indicates it was once volcanically active due to its interaction with the surrounding plates. The islands of the Caribbean are divided into the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles Arc. There are different theories as to how the Caribbean arc formed, but most models are tied to the Costa Rican Island arc on the Pacific coast in some way. The plate interactions of the Cocos plate and the Caribbean plate have caused the volcanic activity on and off the Costa Rican coast. The different geologic environments caused by active subduction in the region are also considered.