Experts in plate tectonics have been unable to determine whether the South Georgian Islands are part of the Scotia Plate or have been recently accreted to the South American Plate. Surface expressions of the plate boundary are found north of the islands suggesting a long-term presence of the transform fault there. Yet seismic studies have identified strain and thrusting south of the islands indicating the possible shift of the transform fault to an area south of the island. It has also been suggested that the plate bearing the islands may have broken off from the Scotia Plate, forming a new independent South Georgia microplate, yet there is little evidence to make this conclusion.