:List of tectonic plates
{{Short description|Overview of tectonic plates}}
[[File:Tectonic plates 2022.svg|upright=1.35|thumb|Map of Earth's 16 principal tectonic plates, showing plate boundary types:
{{legend-line|#a50f15 solid 2px|Spreading center}}
{{legend-line|#e7298a solid 2px|Extension zone}}
{{legend-line|#08519c solid 2px|Subduction zone}}
{{legend-line|#8c6bb1 solid 2px|Collision zone}}
{{legend-line|#fe9929 solid 2px|Dextral transform}}
{{legend-line|#006837 solid 2px|Sinistral transform}}]]
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 {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} 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
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).{{cite web |last=Madaan |first=About Sonia |title=7 Major Tectonic Plates (Pacific, African, Eurasian, Antarctic and more) |website=Earth Eclipse |date=2020-08-18 |url=https://eartheclipse.com/geology/tectonic-plates.html#How_Many_Tectonic_Plates_Are_on_Earth |at=How Many Tectonic Plates Are on Earth?|access-date=2022-05-12}}
=Major plates=
Image:Tectonic plates boundaries World map Wt 180degE centered-en.svg
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 {{convert|20|e6km2|abbr=unit}}
- {{annotated link|African plate}} – {{convert|61300000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Antarctic plate}} – {{convert|60900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Eurasian plate}} – {{convert|67800000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Indo-Australian plate}} (sometimes considered to be two separate tectonic plates) – {{convert|58900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Australian plate}} – {{convert|47000000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Indian plate}} – {{convert|11900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|North American plate}} – {{convert|75900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Pacific plate}} – {{convert|103300000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|South American plate}} – {{convert|43600000|km2|abbr=on}}
=Minor plates=
These smaller plates are often not shown on major plate maps, as the majority of them do not comprise significant land area. For purposes of this list, a minor plate is any plate with an area less than {{convert|20|e6km2|abbr=unit}} but greater than {{convert|1|e6km2|abbr=unit}}.
- {{annotated link|Amurian microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Arabian plate}} – {{convert|5000000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Burma plate}} – {{convert|1100000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Caribbean plate}} – {{convert|3300000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Caroline plate}} – {{convert|1700000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Cocos plate}} – {{convert|2900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Indian plate}} – {{convert|11900000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Nazca plate}} – {{convert|15600000|km2|abbr=on}}{{refn|group=note|15,600,000 km2 is the original size before the 2017 split of the Coiba and Malpelo plates.}}
- {{annotated link|New Hebrides plate}} – {{convert|1100000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Okhotsk microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Philippine Sea plate}} – {{convert|5500000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Scotia plate}} – {{convert|1600000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Somali plate}} – {{convert|16700000|km2|abbr=on}}
- {{annotated link|Sunda plate}}
- {{annotated link|Yangtze plate}}
=Microplates=
These plates are often grouped with an adjacent principal plate on a tectonic plate world 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.Bird, P. (2003). "An updated digital model of plate boundaries". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4 (3): 1027. {{doi|10.1029/2001GC000252}}. http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2003_PB2002.htm. The latest studies have shown that microplates are the basic elements of which the crust is composed and that the larger plates are composed of amalgamations of these, and a subdivision of ca. 1200 smaller plates has come forward.Hasterok, D., Halpin, J., Collins, A.S., Hand, M., Kreemer, C., Gard, M., and Glorie, S. (2022); New maps of global geological provinces and tectonic plates. Earth Science Reviews, 2022.van Dijk, J.P. (2023); The New Global Tectonic Map – Analyses and Implications. Terra Nova, 2023, 27 pp. {{doi|10.1111/TER.12662}}
- African plate
- {{annotated link|Lwandle plate}}
- {{annotated link|Rovuma plate}}
- {{annotated link|Victoria microplate}}
- Antarctic plate
- {{annotated link|East Antarctic plate}}[https://antarctic-plate-tectonics.weebly.com/tectonic-plates.html Antarctic Plate Tectonics]
- {{annotated link|Shetland plate}}
- {{annotated link|West Antarctic plate}}
- Australian plate
- {{annotated link|Capricorn plate}}
- {{annotated link|Futuna plate}}
- {{annotated link|Kermadec plate}}
- {{annotated link|Macquarie plate}}{{cite journal| last1=Gasperini| first1=L| last2=Ligi| first2=M| last3=Accettella| first3=D| last4=Bosman| first4=A| last5=Cuffaro| first5=M| last6=Lodolo| first6=E| last7=Martorelli| first7=E| last8=Muccini| first8=F| last9=Palmiotto| first9=C| last10=Polonia| first10=A| title=Late Miocene to recent tectonic evolution of the Macquarie Triple Junction| journal=Geology| date=1 February 2023| volume=51 |issue=2|pages=146–50| doi=10.1130/G50556.1| doi-access=free}}
- {{annotated link|Maoke plate}}
- {{annotated link|Niuafo'ou plate}}
- {{annotated link|Tonga plate}}
- {{annotated link|Woodlark plate}}
- Caribbean plate
- {{annotated link|Gonâve microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Hispaniola microplate}}
- {{annotated link|North Hispaniola microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Panama plate}}
- {{annotated link|Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands microplate}}
- {{annotated link|South Jamaica microplate}}
- Cocos plate
- {{annotated link|Rivera plate}}
- Eurasian plate
- {{annotated link|Adriatic plate|aka=the Apulian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Aegean Sea plate|aka=Hellenic plate}}
- {{annotated link|Anatolian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Azores Plateau|Azores microplate}}{{cite web|url=http://www.civil.ist.utl.pt/cratera/intro.htm|title=Introduction – Project Cratera|work=utl.pt}}[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234468330_MORVEL_A_new_estimate_for_geologically_recent_plate_motions Demets, C., Gordon, Richard, & Argus, Donald, «MORVEL: A new estimate for geologically recent plate motions» in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts].
- {{annotated link|Banda Sea plate}}
- {{annotated link|Hreppar microplate}} – Small tectonic plate in south Iceland, between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate
- {{annotated link|Iberian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Iranian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Molucca Sea plate}}
- {{annotated link|Halmahera plate}}
- {{annotated link|Sangihe plate}}
- {{annotated link|Okinawa plate}}
- {{annotated link|Pelso plate}}
- {{annotated link|Timor plate}}
- {{annotated link|Tisza plate}}
- Nazca plate
- {{annotated link|Coiba plate}}
- {{annotated link|Malpelo plate}}
- North American plate
- {{annotated link|Greenland plate}}{{cite news |author1=Niels Henriksen |author2=A.K. Higgins |author3=Feiko Kalsbeek |author4=T. Christopher R. Pulvertaft |year=2000 |title=Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary |work=Greenland Survey Bulletin |issue=185 |url=http://www.geus.dk/publications/bull-gl/nr185/nr185_p12-24.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=2009-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207074112/http://www.geus.dk/publications/bull-gl/nr185/nr185_p12-24.pdf |archive-date=2008-12-07}}
- {{annotated link|Queen Elizabeth Islands Subplate}}
- Pacific plate
- {{annotated link|Balmoral Reef plate}}
- {{annotated link|Bird's Head plate}}
- {{annotated link|Conway Reef plate}}
- {{annotated link|Easter microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Galápagos microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Juan de Fuca plate}} – 250,000 km2
- {{annotated link|Explorer plate}}
- {{annotated link|Gorda plate}}
- {{annotated link|Juan Fernández plate}}
- {{annotated link|Manus plate}}
- {{annotated link|North Bismarck plate}}
- {{annotated link|North Galapagos microplate|North Galápagos microplate}}
- {{annotated link|Solomon Sea plate}}
- {{annotated link|South Bismarck plate}}
- {{annotated link|Trobriand plate}}
- Philippine Sea plate
- {{annotated link|Mariana plate}}
- {{annotated link|Philippine Mobile Belt|aka=Philippine microplate}}
- Scotia plate
- {{annotated link|South Sandwich plate}}
- Somali plate
- {{annotated link|Madagascar plate}}
- South American plate
- {{annotated link|Altiplano plate}}
- {{annotated link|Falklands microplate}}
- {{annotated link|North Andes plate}} (mainly in Colombia, minor parts in Ecuador and Venezuela)
Ancient tectonic plates
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.
The following is a list of ancient cratons, microplates, plates, and terranes which no longer exist as separate plates. Cratons are the oldest and most stable parts of the continental lithosphere, and shields are exposed parts of them. Terranes are fragments of crustal material formed on one tectonic plate and accreted to crust lying on another plate, which may or may not have originated as independent microplates: a terrane may not contain the full thickness of the lithosphere.
= African plate =
- {{annotated link|Atlantica}}
- {{annotated link|Bangweulu Block}} (Zambia)
- {{annotated link|Congo Craton}} (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sudan, and Zambia)
- {{annotated link|Kaapvaal Craton}} (South Africa)
- {{annotated link|Kalahari Craton}} (South Africa)
- {{annotated link|Saharan Metacraton}} (Algeria)
- {{annotated link|Sebakwe proto-Craton}} (Zimbabwe)
- {{annotated link|Tanzania Craton}} (Tanzania)
- {{annotated link|West African Craton}} (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)
- {{annotated link|Zimbabwe Craton}} (Zimbabwe)
= Antarctic plate =
- {{annotated link|Bellingshausen plate}}
- {{annotated link|Charcot plate}}
- {{annotated link|East Antarctic Shield|aka=East Antarctic Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Phoenix plate}}
= Eurasian plate =
- {{annotated link|Armorican terrane|Armorica}} (France, Germany, Spain and Portugal)
- {{annotated link|Avalonia}} (Canada, Great Britain, and United States)
- {{annotated link|Baltic plate}}
- Belomorian Craton
- Central Iberian plate
- {{annotated link|Cimmeria (continent)|Cimmerian plate}} (Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Indochina and Malaya)
- East China Craton{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}
- {{annotated link|East European Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Baltic Shield|aka=Fennoscandian Shield}}
- {{annotated link|Dzungaria|Junggar plate}} and Eastern Kazakhstan
- {{annotated link|Hunic terranes|Hunic plate}}
- {{annotated link|Karelian Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Kazakhstania}} and the Junngar Basin in China
- {{annotated link|Kola Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Lhasa terrane}}
- {{annotated link|Massif Central}}
- {{annotated link|Moldanubian Zone|Moldanubian plate}}
- Moravo Silesian plate
- {{annotated link|Midlands Microcraton}}
- {{annotated link|North Atlantic Craton}}
- {{annotated link|North China Craton}}
- Ossa-Morena plate
- {{annotated link|Piemont-Liguria Ocean|Piemont-Liguria plate}}
- Proto-Alps terrane
- {{annotated link|Rhenohercynian Zone|Rhenohercynian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Sarmatian Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Saxothuringian Zone|Saxothuringian plate}}
- {{annotated link|Siberia (continent)|Siberian Craton}}
- South Portuguese plate
- Tarim craton
- Teplá-Barrandian terrane
- {{annotated link|Ukrainian Shield}}
- {{annotated link|Valais Ocean|Valais plate}}
- Volgo-Uralian craton
- Yakutai craton
- {{annotated link|South China (continent)|Yangtze Craton}}
= Indo-Australian plate =
- Altjawarra Craton (Australia)
- Aravalli Craton (India)
- Bastar Craton (India)
- Bhandara Craton (India)
- Bundelkhand Craton (India)
- {{annotated link|Dharwar Craton}}
- Central Craton (Australia)
- Curnamona Craton (Australia)
- {{annotated link|Gawler Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Indian Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Narooma terrane}}
- {{annotated link|Pilbara Craton}}
- Singhbhum Craton (India)
- {{annotated link|Yilgarn Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Australian Shield|aka=Western Australian Shield}}
- {{annotated link|Zealandia}}. See Moa plate and Lord Howe Rise
= North American plate =
File:North america basement rocks.pngn cratons and basement rocks]]
- {{annotated link|Avalonia}} (Canada, Great Britain, and United States)
- {{annotated link|Carolina terrane|Carolina plate}}
- {{annotated link|Churchill Craton}} (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Farallon plate}} (split into the Cocos, Explorer, Juan de Fuca, Gorda plates, Nazca plate, and Rivera plates)
- {{annotated link|Geology of Florida|Florida plate}} (United States)
- {{annotated link|Hearne Craton}} (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Laurentia|Laurentian Craton|aka=North American Craton}} (Canada and United States)
- {{annotated link|Insular plate}}
- {{annotated link|Intermontane plate}}
- {{annotated link|Izanagi plate}}
- Mexican plate
- {{annotated link|Nain Province}} (Canada)
- Newfoundland plate
- {{annotated link|North Atlantic Craton}}
- Nova Scotia plate
- {{annotated link|Rae Craton}} (Canada)
- Sask Craton (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Sclavia Craton}} (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Slave Craton}} (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Superior Craton}} (Canada)
- {{annotated link|Wyoming Craton}} (United States)
= South American plate =
- {{annotated link|Amazonian Craton}} (Brazil)
- {{annotated link|Guiana Shield}} (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela)
- {{annotated link|Río de la Plata Craton}} (Argentina and Uruguay)
- {{annotated link|São Francisco Craton}} (Brazil)
- {{annotated link|Arequipa-Antofalla|Arequipa–Antofalla Craton}} (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru)
See also
{{Portal|Geology}}
- {{annotated link|Asthenosphere}}
- {{annotated link|Continent}}
- {{annotated link|Craton}}
- {{annotated link|Platform (geology)|Platform}}
- {{annotated link|Shield (geology)|Shield}}
- {{annotated link|Earth's crust}}
- {{annotated link|Continental crust}}
- {{annotated link|Oceanic crust}}
- {{annotated link|Earth's mantle}}
- {{annotated link|Lower mantle (Earth)|Lower mantle}}
- {{annotated link|Upper mantle (Earth)|Upper mantle}}
- {{annotated link|Geochemistry}}
- {{annotated link|Sial}}
- {{annotated link|Sima (geology)|Sima}}
- {{annotated link|Hydrosphere}}
- {{annotated link|Lithosphere}}
- {{annotated link|Ocean}}
- {{annotated link|Plate tectonics}}
- List of tectonic plate interactions – Types of plate boundaries
- {{annotated link|Supercontinent}}
- {{annotated link|Terrane}}
Notes and references
= Notes =
{{reflist|group=note}}
= References =
{{reflist}}
= Bibliography =
;North Andes plate
- {{cite journal |last=Restrepo |first=Jorge Julián |last2=Ordóñez Carmona |first2=Oswaldo |last3=Martens |first3=Uwe |last4=Correa |first4=Ana María |year=2009 |title=Terrenos, complejos y provincias en la Cordillera Central de Colombia (Terrains, complexes and provinces in the central cordillera of Colombia) |url=https://revistas.uptc.edu.co/index.php/ingenieria_sogamoso/article/view/908 |journal=Ingeniería Investigación y Desarrollo |volume=9 |pages=49–56 |access-date=2019-10-31}}
- {{cite journal |last=Fuck |first=Reinhardt A. |last2=Brito Neves |first2=Benjamim Bley |last3=Schobbenhaus |first3=Carlos |year=2008 |title=Rodinia descendants in South America |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287701535_From_Rodinia_to_Western_Gondwana_An_approach_to_the_Brasiliano-Pan_African_Cycle_and_orogenic_collage |journal=Precambrian Research |volume=160 |pages=108–126 |access-date=2019-10-29}}
- {{cite conference |last=Cordani |first=U.G. |last2=Cardona |first2=A. |last3=Jiménez |first3=D.M. |last4=Dunyl |first4=L. |last5=Nutman |first5=A.P. |year=2003 |title=Geochronology of Proterozoic basement from the Colombian Andes: Tectonic history of remnants from a fragmented Grenville Belt |publisher=10o Congreso Geológico Chileno |pages=1–10}}
- {{cite journal |last=Restrepo |first=Jorge Julian |last2=Toussaint |first2=Jean F. |year=1988 |title=Terranes and continental accretion in the Colombian Andes |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279701945_Terranes_and_Continental_Accretion_in_the_Colombian_Andes |journal=Episodes |volume=11 |pages=189–193 |access-date=2019-10-31}}
External links
- Bird, Peter (2003) [http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2003_PB2002.htm An updated digital model of plate boundaries] also available as a [http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2001GC000252.pdf large (13 Mb) PDF file]
{{Tectonic plates}}