Northern Africa
What tectonic plate is Algeria on?
Algeria sits almost entirely on the African Plate (99.8% of its land), with small fringes on the Eurasian Plate.
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 3
- Holocene volcanoes
- 3
- Land area
- 2.32 million km²
Plates under Algeria
Share of Algeria's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Algeria: the Eurasian-African boundary (convergent, about 0.6 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Algeria
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Algeria. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 3 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 km NNE of Chlef, Algeria | M7.3 | 1980 | 10 km | African |
| 25 km WNW of Dellys, Algeria | M6.8 | 2003 | 12 km | Eurasian |
| northern Algeria | M6.7 | 1954 | 15 km | African |
Volcanoes in Algeria
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 3 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Algeria.
- Tahalra Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 1,467 m Last eruption Unknown
- Atakor Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 2,918 m Last eruption Unknown
- Manzaz Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 1,672 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Algeria on?
Algeria sits almost entirely on the African Plate (99.8% of its land), with small fringes on the Eurasian Plate.
Is Algeria on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Algeria: the Eurasian-African boundary (convergent, about 0.6 cm/yr).
Does Algeria get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Algeria. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 3 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.3 3 km NNE of Chlef, Algeria in 1980.
Are there volcanoes in Algeria?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 3 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Algeria.