Answer:
Explanation:
The tectonic plates move among themselves as solid and rigid blocks, moving over the upper level of the mantle (asthenosphere).
When the plates get closer to each other, we say that they converge → ←, when they separate they diverge ← → and if what they do is move laterally next to each other they pass ⇅
In the case at hand, the Nazca oceanic plate converges with the South American continental plate, approaching each other at a rate of about 6 or 8 cm per year. And they have been doing so for at least the last 25 million years.
Since the Nazca plate, due to its composition, is denser than the South American plate, it has less buoyancy and when pushed against it, it folds and sinks towards the mantle where it melts. This process, called subduction, is responsible for the rising of the Andes, as well as the high seismicity and volcanism present along the South American west coast.
