Week 2: Tectonic Plates and Boundaries

Honduras is positioned on the Chortis Block near the junction of three tectonic plates: the North American, the Cocos, and the Caribbean. This position makes the country particularly vulnerable to seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.

Honduras's location in relation to the Caribbean Plate helps further understand its tectonic situation. Honduras sits near the northern edge of the Caribbean Plate, which interacts with several of the other major plates in the region. Its most relevant tectonic feature is the North American-Caribbean plate boundary, which runs along the Motagua Fault System. As a transform plate boundary, it is primarily a transform fault where the two plates slide past each other horizontally. The interaction between these plates (North American and Caribbean) has shaped much of Central America's geology and continues to influence the region's seismic activity.

While Honduras itself is not directly on a plate boundary, its northern coast is relatively close to a transform boundary. Its proximity means that the country experiences indirect effects of plate movements, including occasional earthquakes and the potential for tsunamis along its Caribbean coastline.