But the land closest to the Nazca plate - the continent's western coast - is home to the driest deserts on earth.

However, the area is still tectonically active with the Nazca plate estimated to move eastward at the rate of 3.7 cm per year.

As these two plates converge, it drives the Nazca plate with massive movements called megathrust earthquakes.

The western border is where the Nazca Plate subducts underneath this plate.

Earthquake activity in Chile is related to subduction of the Nazca Plate to the east.

The westerly side is a convergent boundary with the subducting Nazca Plate.

Remember the Nazca Plate Catastrophe of 3175!

The ridge was formed by the Nazca Plate floating over the Easter hotspot.

Due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate this area is very prone to volcanic and seismic activity.

The volcanic arc has formed due to subduction of the Nazca Plate under western South America.

The rupture was located on the Nazca plate where it is being pushed beneath the mantle of the South American continent.

This may suggest that Calabozos' activity is more dependent on local processes than subduction of the Nazca Plate.

This plume stays in place while the Nazca plate moves above it; the relative movement of this plate is 91 degrees.

At his location the Nazca Plate is moving to the east relative to South America at a rate of 58 mm per year.

The ridge is thought to be a result of the passage of the Nazca Plate over the Galapagos hotspot.

It is squeezed between the faster moving South American Plate and the Nazca Plate.

Less material is erupted over the Nazca plate resulted in the saddle being formed in the Carnegie Ridge.

The plate diving under South America (called the Nazca plate) is driving hot rock upward, bulking up the mountains.

South America, moving west, is encountering the ocean-crustal rock of the Nazca Plate, which plunges eastward under the continent.

The earthquake occurred along the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate.

In this area, the Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the South American Plate.

The Andes were formed by the oceanic Nazca plate's sliding under and pushing up the continental South American plate.

The earthquake is likely to be a result of thrust-faulting, caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.

The earthquake occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface between the two plates, with the South American plate moving up and seaward over the Nazca plate.

The Cocos and Nazca Plates are the remnants of the former Farallon Plate, which broke up about 23 million years ago.