Mid-oceanic ridge at a divergent tectonic plate boundary on the floor of the Pacific Ocean
Approximate surface projection on Pacific Ocean of East Pacific Rise (purple). In some usage this continues as the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (violet). Features associated with fracture zones (orange) are also shown (lighter orange). Click to expand map to obtain interactive fracture zone details.[1]
The oceanic crust is moving away from the East Pacific Rise to either side. Near Easter Island the rate is over 150 mm (6 in) per year which is the fastest in the world.[2] However, on the northern end, it is much slower at only roughly 60 mm (2+1⁄2 in) per year.[3][4] On the eastern side of the rise, the eastward-moving Cocos and Nazca plates meet the westward moving South American plate and the North American plate and are being subducted under them. The belt of volcanos along the Andes and the arc of volcanoes through Central America and Mexico are the direct results of this collision. Due east of the Baja California peninsula, the Rise is sometimes referred to as the Gulf of California Rift Zone. In this area, newly formed oceanic crust is intermingled with rifted continental crust originating from the North American plate.
Near Easter Island, the East Pacific Rise meets the Chile Rise at the Easter Island and Juan Fernandez microplates, trending off to the east where it subducts under the South American plate at the Peru–Chile Trench along the coast of southern Chile. This portion of the Rise has been referred to as the Cape Adare-Easter Island Ridge, Albatross Cordillera, Easter Island Cordillera, Easter Island Rise, and Easter Island Swell.[5]
Parts of the East Pacific Rise have oblique spreading, such as the Nazca–Pacific plate boundary between 29°S and 32°S.[6] This is seafloor spreading that is not orthogonal to the nearest ridge segment.[6]