ABSTRACT
The Central American isthmus is an Andean-type volcanic arc formed and developed by the subduction of the Cocos plate under the Caribbean plate. This subduction has created a volcanic chain that consists of approximately 50 active volcanoes. Since its formation, the arc has been subjected to the compressive stresses generated at the Middle America trench (MAT), shear stresses derived from the horizontal interaction between the North American and Caribbean plates to the west, and the convergence of the Cocos and Nazca plates to the south.
