Panama Fracture Zone

The Panama Fracture Zone is a major, active right lateral-moving transform fault and associated inactive fracture zone which forms part of the tectonic boundary between the Cocos Plate and the Nazca Plate. It is part of the triple junction between the Cocos Plate, Nazca Plate and Caribbean Plate which is moving in the southeastern direction at 5.5 cm/yr. It runs from the East Pacific Rise to the Middle America Trench.

References

• Lowrie, A.; Aitken, T.; Grim, P.; McRaney, L. (1979), "Fossil spreading center and faults within the Panama Fracture Zone", Marine Geophysical Researches, 4 (2): 153–166, doi:10.1007/BF00286402

• Morell, Kristin; Fisher, Donald; Gardner, Thomas (2008). "Inner forearc response to subduction of the Panama Fracture Zone, southern Central America". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 265 (1–2): 82–95. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.09.039.