Stress Points
on July 2, 2003

N. American Plate and the Eurasian Plate abutt each other on a line going from Iceland to the Kamchatka Penninsula, but where they show stress during plate adjustments little movement occurs. Adjustments are made in weak points on the borders of these two giant plates: The Caribbean, the plate lob encompassing Indonesia, and the Philippine Plate where deep ocean trenches can be collapsed. The uncharted mid-Pacific is not exempt, showing stress at Hawaii which is building, into the area of many folds where Wake Island has been shaky. As the Atlantic Rift separates, the African Rift is free to move east, creating tension in Kenya. The Antartica Plate reacts to the spreading Atlantic Rift by lifting there, to relieve the pressure coming from the squeeze on the Pacific Plate.

N. American / Eurasian Abutting
Kongsberg, Norway KON	Bilibino, Russia BIL
San Juan, Puerto Rico SJG	Guangduong Province, China QIZ
Pacific Rim Folding
Wake Island, Pacific Ocean WAK	Kipapa, Hawaii KIP
Africa Rift Spread / Antartica Lift
Kilima Mbogo, Kenya KMB	South Pole, Antarctica SPA