List of tectonic plates

Map showing Earth's lithosphere divided into 15 principal tectonic plates

Plate tectonics map from NASA

This is a list of tectonic plates on Earth's surface. Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere. The plates are around 100 km (62 mi) thick and consist of two principal types of material: oceanic crust (also called sima from silicon and magnesium) and continental crust (sial from silicon and aluminium). The composition of the two types of crust differs markedly, with mafic basaltic rocks dominating oceanic crust, while continental crust consists principally of lower-density felsic granitic rocks.

Current plates

Map showing Earth's principal tectonic plates and their boundaries in detail

Geologists generally agree that the following tectonic plates currently exist on Earth's surface with roughly definable boundaries. Tectonic plates are sometimes subdivided into three fairly arbitrary categories: major (or primary) plates, minor (or secondary) plates, and microplates (or tertiary plates).

Major plates

These plates comprise the bulk of the continents and the Pacific Ocean. For purposes of this list, a major plate is any plate with an area greater than 20 million km².

• African Plate – Tectonic plate underlying AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 61,300,000 km²
• Antarctic Plate – Major tectonic plate containing Antarctica and the surrounding ocean floorPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 60,900,000 km²
• Eurasian Plate – Tectonic plate which includes most of the continent of EurasiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 67,800,000 km²
• Indo-Australian Plate – Major tectonic plate formed by the fusion of the Indian and Australian platesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 58,900,000 km² often considered two plates:
  • Australian Plate – Major tectonic plate separated from Indo-Australian plate about 3 million years agoPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 47,000,000 km²
  • Indian Plate – Minor plate that separated from GondwanaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 11,900,000 km²
• North American Plate – Large tectonic plate including most of North America, Greenland and part of SiberiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 75,900,000 km²
• Pacific Plate – Oceanic tectonic plate under the Pacific OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 103,300,000 km²
• South American Plate – Major tectonic plate which includes most of South America and a large part of the south AtlanticPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 43,600,000 km²

Minor plates

These smaller plates are often not shown on major plate maps, as the majority do not comprise significant land area. For purposes of this list, a minor plate is any plate with an area less than 20 million km² but greater than 1 million km².

• Somali Plate – Minor tectonic plate including the east coast of Africa and the adjoining seabedPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 16,700,000 km²
• Nazca Plate – Oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basinPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 15,600,000 km²
• Indian Plate – Minor plate that separated from GondwanaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 11,900,000 km²
• Amurian Plate – A minor tectonic plate in eastern AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Sunda Plate – Tectonic plate including Southeast AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Philippine Sea Plate – Oceanic tectonic plate to the east of the PhilippinesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 5,500,000 km²
• Okhotsk Plate – Minor tectonic plate in AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Arabian Plate – Minor tectonic platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 5,000,000 km²
• Yangtze Plate – Tectonic plate carrying the bulk of southern ChinaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Caribbean Plate – A mostly oceanic tectonic plate including part of Central America and the Caribbean SeaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 3,300,000 km²
• Cocos Plate – Young oceanic tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Central AmericaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 2,900,000 km²
• Caroline Plate – Minor oceanic tectonic plate north of New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 1,700,000 km²
• Scotia Plate – Minor oceanic tectonic plate between the Antarctic and South American platesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 1,600,000 km²
• Burma Plate – Minor tectonic plate in Southeast AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 1,100,000 km²
• New Hebrides Plate – Minor tectonic plate in the Pacific Ocean near VanuatuPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 1,100,000 km²

Microplates

These plates are often grouped with an adjacent major plate on a major plate map. For purposes of this list, a microplate is any plate with an area less than 1 million km². Some models identify more minor plates within current orogens (events that lead to a large structural deformation of Earth's lithosphere) like the Apulian, Explorer, Gorda, and Philippine Mobile Belt plates. There may be scientific consensus as to whether such plates should be considered distinct portions of the crust; thus, new research could change this list.

• African Plate
  • Adriatic Plate, also known as Apulian Plate – A small tectonic plate in the MediterraneanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Lwandle Plate – Mainly oceanic tectonic microplate off the southeast coast of AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Madagascar Plate – Tectonic plate formerly part of the supercontinent GondwanaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Rovuma Plate – One of three tectonic microplates that contribute to the Nubian Plate and the Somali PlatePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Victoria Microplate
  • Seychelles microcontinent – A microcontinent underlying the Seychelles Islands in the western Indian Ocean
• Antarctic Plate
  • Kerguelen Plateau – Oceanic plateau in the southern Indian Ocean
  • Shetland Plate – Tectonic microplate off the tip of the Antarctic PeninsulaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • South Sandwich Plate – Small tectonic plate south of the South American platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Australian Plate
  • Capricorn Plate – Proposed minor tectonic plate under the Indian OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Futuna Plate – Very small tectonic plate near the south Pacific island of FutunaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Kermadec Plate – Tectonic plate in the south Pacific OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Maoke Plate – Small tectonic plate in western New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Niuafo'ou Plate – Small tectonic plate west of TongaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Tonga Plate – Small tectonic plate in the southwest Pacific OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Woodlark Plate – Small tectonic plate located to the east of the island of New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Caribbean Plate
  • Panama Plate – Small tectonic plate in Central AmericaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Gonâve Microplate – Part of the boundary between the North American plate and the Caribbean platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • South Jamaica Microplate
  • North Hispaniola Microplate
  • Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands Microplate
• Cocos Plate
  • Rivera Plate – Small tectonic plate off the west coast of MexicoPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Eurasian Plate
  • Aegean Sea Plate, also known as Hellenic Plate – A small tectonic plate in the eastern Mediterranean SeaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Anatolian Plate – Continental tectonic plate comprising most of the Anatolia (Asia Minor) peninsulaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Banda Sea Plate – Minor tectonic plate underlying the Banda Sea in southeast AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Iberian Plate – Small tectonic plate now part of the Eurasian platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Iranian Plate – Geological feature in AsiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Molucca Sea Plate – Small fully subducted tectonic plate near IndonesiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
    • Halmahera Plate – Small tectonic plate in the Molucca SeaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
    • Sangihe Plate – Microplate within eastern IndonesiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Okinawa Plate – Minor tectonic plate from the northern end of Taiwan to the southern tip of KyūshūPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Pelso Plate – Small tectonic unit in the Pannonian Basin in EuropePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Timor Plate – Microplate in Southeast Asia carrying the island of Timor and surrounding islandsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Tisza Plate – Tectonic microplate, in present-day EuropePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Nazca Plate
  • Coiba Plate – Tectonic plate off the coast south of Panama and northwestern ColombiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Malpelo Plate – A small tectonic plate off the coast west of Ecuador and ColombiaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• North American Plate
  • Queen Elizabeth Islands Subplate – Small tectonic plate containing the Queen Elizabeth Islands of Northern Canada
  • Greenland Plate – Supposed tectonic microplate containing the Greenland cratonPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Explorer Plate – Oceanic tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Vancouver Island, CanadaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Gorda Plate – One of the northern remnants of the Farallon platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Pacific Plate
  • Balmoral Reef Plate – Small tectonic plate in the south Pacific north of FijiPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Bird's Head Plate – Small tectonic plate in New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Conway Reef Plate – Small tectonic plate in the south Pacific west of FijiPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Easter Microplate – Very small tectonic plate to the west of Easter IslandPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Galápagos Microplate – Very small tectonic plate at the Galápagos triple junctionPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Juan de Fuca Plate – Small tectonic plate in the eastern North PacificPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets – 250,000 km²
  • Juan Fernández Plate – Very small tectonic plate in the southern Pacific OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Kula Plate – Former oceanic tectonic platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Manus Plate – Tiny tectonic plate northeast of New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • North Bismarck Plate – Small tectonic plate in the Bismarck Sea north of New GuineaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • North Galápagos Microplate – Tectonic plate off west South AmericaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Solomon Sea Plate – Minor tectonic plate near the Solomon Islands archipelago in the Pacific OceanPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • South Bismarck Plate – Small tectonic plate in the southern Bismarck SeaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Philippine Sea Plate
  • Mariana Plate – Small tectonic plate west of the Mariana TrenchPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Philippine Mobile Belt, also known as Philippine Microplate – Tectonic boundary
• South American Plate
  • Altiplano Plate
  • Falklands Microplate
  • North Andes Plate – Small tectonic plate in the northern AndesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets (mainly in Colombia, minor parts in Ecuador and Venezuela)
    • Chibcha Terrane (Andean Region)
    • Caribbean Terrane (Eastern Caribbean Region)
    • Tahamí Terrane (Central Andean Region)

Ancient continental formations

In the history of Earth many tectonic plates have come into existence and have over the intervening years either accreted onto other plates to form larger plates, rifted into smaller plates, or have been crushed by or subducted under other plates.

Ancient supercontinents

Supercontinent – Landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton

• Supercontinent cycle – Repeated joining and separation of Earth's continents

The following list includes the supercontinents known or speculated to have existed in the Earth's past:

• Columbia – Ancient supercontinent of approximately 2,500 to 1,500 million years ago
• Euramerica – Supercontinent created in the Devonian
• Gondwana – Neoproterozoic to Cretaceous landmass
• Kenorland – Hypothetical Neoarchaean supercontinent from about 2.8 billion years ago
• Laurasia – Northern landmass that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent
• Nena – Early Proterozoic supercontinent
• Pangaea – Supercontinent from the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic eras
• Pannotia – Hypothesized Neoproterozoic supercontinent
• Proto-Laurasia – Northern landmass that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinentPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Rodinia – Hypothetical Neoproterozoic supercontinent
• Ur – Hypothetical Archaean supercontinent from about 3.1 billion years ago
• Vaalbara – Archaean supercontinent from about 3.6 to 2.7 billion years ago

Ancient plates and cratons

Not all plate boundaries are easily defined, especially for ancient pieces of crust. The following list of ancient cratons, microplates, plates, shields, terranes, and zones no longer exist as separate plates. Cratons are the oldest and most stable parts of the continental lithosphere and shields are the exposed area of a craton(s). Microplates are tiny tectonic plates, terranes are fragments of crustal material formed on one tectonic plate and accreted to crust lying on another plate, and zones are bands of similar rocks on a plate formed by terrane accretion or native rock formation. Terranes may or may not have originated as independent microplates: a terrane may not contain the full thickness of the lithosphere.

African Plate

• Atlantica – Ancient continent formed during the Proterozoic about 2 billion years ago
• Bangweulu Block – Part of the Congo craton of central Africa (Zambia)
• Congo Craton – Precambrian craton that with four others makes up the modern continent of Africa (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan, and Zambia)
• Kaapvaal Craton – Archaean craton, possibly part of the Vaalbara supercontinent (South Africa)
• Kalahari Craton – African geological area (South Africa)
• Saharan Metacraton – Large area of continental crust in the north-central part of Africa (Algeria)
• Sebakwe proto-Craton – Old and stable part of the continental lithospherePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets (Zimbabwe)
• Tanzania Craton – Old and stable part of the continental lithosphere in central Tanzania (Tanzania)
• West African Craton – One of the five cratons of the Precambrian basement rock of Africa that make up the African Plate (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo)
• Zaire Craton (Congo)
• Zimbabwe Craton – Area in Southern Africa of ancient continental crust (Zimbabwe)

Antarctic Plate

• Bellingshausen Plate – Ancient tectonic plate that fused onto the Antarctic platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Charcot Plate – Fragment of the Phoenix tectonic plate fused to the Antarctic PeninsulaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• East Antarctic Shield, also known as East Antarctic Craton – Cratonic rock body which makes up most of the continent Antarctica
• Phoenix Plate – Tectonic plate that existed during the early Paleozoic through late Cenozoic timePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

Eurasian Plate

• Armorica – Microcontinent or group of continental fragments rifted away from Gondwana (France, Germany, Spain and Portugal)
• Avalonia – Microcontinent in the Paleozoic era (Canada, Great Britain, and United States)
• Baltic Plate – Ancient tectonic plate from the Cambrian to the Carboniferous PeriodPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Belomorian Craton
• Central Iberian Plate
• Cimmerian Plate – Ancient string of microcontinents that rifted from Gondwana (Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Indochina and Malaya)
• East China Craton
• East European Craton – Geology of Europe
• Baltic Shield, also known as Fennoscandian Shield – Ancient segment of Earth's crust
• Junggar Plate – Geographical subregion in Northwest China and Eastern Kazakhstan
• Hunic plate
• Karelian Craton – Region comprising the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland, Karelia, and the Kola Peninsula
• Kazakhstania – Geological region in Central Asia and the Junngar Basin in China
• Kola Craton – Geographical peninsula in EuropePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Lhasa terrane – Fragment of crustal material that forms present-day southern Tibet
• Massif Central – Highland region in southern France
• Moldanubian Plate – A tectonic zone in Europe formed during the Variscan or Hercynian Orogeny
• Moravo Silesian Plate
• Midlands Microcraton – Block of late Neoproterozoic crust which underlies the English Midlands
• North Atlantic Craton – Archaean craton exposed in Greenland, Labrador, and northwestern Scotland
• North China Craton – Continental crustal block in northeast China, Inner Mongolia, the Yellow Sea, and North Korea
• Ossa-Morena Plate
• Piemont-Liguria Plate – Former piece of oceanic crust that is seen as part of the Tethys Ocean
• Proto-Alps Terrane
• Rhenohercynian Plate – Fold belt of west and central Europe, formed during the Hercynian orogeny
• Sarmatian Craton – The southern part of the East European Craton or Baltica, also known as Scythian Plateau
• Saxothuringian Plate – Structural or tectonic zone in the Hercynian or Variscan orogen of central and western Europe
• Siberian Craton – Ancient craton forming the Central Siberian Plateau
• South Portuguese Plate
• Tarim Craton
• Teplá-Barrandian Terrane
• Ukrainian Shield – The southwest shield of the East European craton
• Valais Plate – Subducted ocean basin. Remnants found in the Alps in the North Penninic nappes.
• Volgo-Uralian Craton
• Yakutai Craton
• Yangtze Craton – Precambrian continental block located in ChinaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

Indo-Australian Plate

Basic geological regions of Australia, by age

Map of chronostratigraphic divisions of India

• Altjawarra Craton (Australia)
• Bhandara Craton, (India)
• Bundelkhand Craton, (India)
• Dharwar Craton – Part of the Indian Shield in south India
• Central Craton (Australia)
• Curnamona Craton (Australia)
• Gawler Craton – Province of the larger West Australian Shield in central South Australia
• Indian Craton
• Narooma Terrane – Geological structural region on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia
• Pilbara Craton – Old and stable part of the continental lithosphere located in Pilbara, Western Australia
• Singhbhum Craton (India)
• Yilgarn Craton – Large craton in Western Australia
• Australian Shield, also known as Western Australian Shield – Large part of the continent of Australia
• Zealandia – Mostly submerged continental crust area in Oceania. See Moa Plate and Lord Howe Rise

North American Plate

North American cratons and basement rocks

• Avalonia – Microcontinent in the Paleozoic era (Canada, Great Britain, and United States)
• Carolina Plate – Exotic terrane from central Georgia to central Virginia in the United States
• Churchill Craton – Geologic region in Canada (Canada)
• Farallon Plate – Ancient oceanic plate that has mostly subducted under the North American platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets (split into the Cocos, Explorer, Juan de Fuca, Gorda Plates, Nazca Plate, and Rivera Plates)
• Florida Plate (United States)
• Hearne Craton – Craton in northern Canada (Canada)
• Laurentian Craton, also known as North American Craton – Craton forming the geological core of North America (Canada and United States)
• Insular Plate – Ancient oceanic platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Intermontane Plate – Ancient oceanic tectonic plate on the west coast of North America about 195 million years agoPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Izanagi Plate – Ancient tectonic platePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Mexican Plate
• Nain Province – Part of the North Atlantic Craton in Labrador, Canada (Canada)
• Newfoundland Plate
• North Atlantic Craton – Archaean craton exposed in Greenland, Labrador, and northwestern Scotland
• Nova Scotia Plate
• Rae Craton – Archean craton in northern Canada north of the Superior Craton (Canada)
• Sask Craton (Canada)
• Sclavia Craton – Late Archean supercraton (Canada)
• Slave Craton – Area of ancient rocks in northwest Canada (Canada)
• Superior Craton – Large crustal block in North America (Canada)
• Wyoming Craton – Craton in the west-central United States and western Canada (United States)

South American Plate

• Amazonian Craton – Geologic province in South America (Brazil)
• Guiana Shield – Precambrian geological formation in northeast South America (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela)
• Río de la Plata Craton – Medium-sized continental block in Uruguay, eastern Argentina and southern Brazil (Argentina and Uruguay)
• São Francisco Craton – Ancient craton in eastern South America (Brazil)
• Arequipa–Antofalla Craton – South American geology (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru)

See also

• Asthenosphere – Highly viscous, ductile, and mechanically weak region of Earth's mantle
• Continent – Large geographical region identified by convention
• Craton – Old and stable part of the continental lithosphere
  • Platform – A continental area covered by relatively flat or gently tilted, mainly sedimentary strata
  • Shield – Large stable area of exposed Precambrian crystalline rock
• Earth's crust – Earth's outer shell of rock
  • Continental crust – Layer of rock that forms the continents and continental shelves
  • Oceanic crust – Uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of a tectonic plate
• Earth's mantle – A layer of silicate rock between Earth's crust and its outer core
  • Lower mantle – The region from 660 to 2900 km below Earth's surfacePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Upper mantle – Very thick layer of rock inside EarthPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Geochemistry – Science that applies chemistry to analyze geological systems
  • Sial – Rocks rich in aluminium silicate minerals
  • Sima – Rocks rich in magnesium silicate minerals
• Hydrosphere – Total amount of water on a planet
• Lithosphere – Outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite
• Ocean – Body of salt water covering most of Earth
• Plate tectonics – Movement of Earth's lithosphere
  • List of tectonic plate interactions – Types of plate boundaries
• Supercontinent – Landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton
• Terrane – Fragment of crust formed on one tectonic plate and accreted to another

Notes and references

Bibliography

North Andes Plate

• Template:Cite LSA
• Template:Cite LSA
• Template:Cite LSA
• Template:Cite LSA

External links

• Bird, Peter (2003) An updated digital model of plate boundaries also available as a large (13 Mb) PDF file