2.1 Physical geography
From a geostructural perspective the Liga islands are located above an active triple junction between three of the world's large tectonic plates (the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the African Plate) a condition that has translated into the existence of many faults and fractures in this region of the Atlantic. The Liga islands of the archipelago (Liga and Liga Minoras) are located in the North American Plate.
The islands of the Liga archipelago were formed through volcanic and seismic activity during the Neogene Period; the first embryonic surfaces started to appear in the waters of Liga Minoras during the Miocene epoch (from circa 8 million years ago). The sequence of the island formation has been generally characterized as: Liga Minoras (8.12 Ma) and Liga (4.1 Ma) the youngest Although all islands have experienced volcanism during their geological history, within recorded "human settlement" history the island of Liga has not experienced any volcanic eruptions; in addition to active fumaroles and hot-springs, the other island, Minoras, have had sporadic eruptions since the 14th century.
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