← Back to All Plates

Sandwich Plate

The Sandwich Plate is a small back-arc plate forming behind the South Sandwich island arc in the remote South Atlantic. The South American Plate subducts beneath it, creating the South Sandwich Trench and fueling the volcanic activity of the South Sandwich Islands. Despite its isolation in one of Earth's most remote regions, this plate hosts some of the planet's most active volcanoes, several of which erupt frequently.

Sandwich Plate map

Plate Information

Size: 0.25 million km²
Movement: Eastward
Speed: 2 cm/year
Countries: 1

Countries & Territories

South Sandwich Islands

Key Facts

  • Entirely oceanic
  • Active subduction zone
  • High volcanic activity
  • Part of the Scotia Sea region