Figure 1
Sketches of the tectonic implications of the discussed kinematic models. (a) Lateral drag-based model. The motion of the North American Plate towards the west drags and pulls the forearc sliver. (b) Push-based model. The subduction of the Cocos Ridge towards the north-east pushes the forearc sliver to the north-west. In green are shaded the areas where shortening and uplifting are expected. In red are shaded areas where the subduction interface should present higher coupling. The arrows show the predicted motion of the blocks with its size qualitatively proportional to the velocity. CR, Cocos Ridge; TSZ, Tonala Shear Zone; MPF, Motagua – Polochic Fault; SIT, Swan Island Transform. The software package GMT94 (version 5.4) has been used to produce the figure.
