The microplate has evolved in two stages. The first is from 5.25 to around
2.5 million years ago, and involved continuous northward propagation of the
East Rift, while the West Rift became segmented along new transform faults as
it adjusted to keep the overall Nazca-Pacific velocities constant. The transpressive
northern boundary migrated with the East Rift tip, while the transtensional
southern boundary remained more or less still. At some time after 2.5 million
yars ago the East Rift ceased northward propagation and the Southwest Rift began
to open up along the transtensional Pacific-Easter transform fault. A convergent
northern boundary formed involving southward thrusting of the Nazca plate over
the microplate. No further Nazca plate lithosphere was transferred from north
of the microplate interior, and the Pito Deep region opened by pervasively rifting
apart preexisting Nazca plate lithosphere.
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