Antarctica
What tectonic plate is Antarctica on?
Antarctica sits almost entirely on the Antarctic Plate (99.9% of its land), with small fringes on the Shetland Plate.
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 6
- Holocene volcanoes
- 19
- Land area
- 12.3 million km²
Plates under Antarctica
Share of Antarctica's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Antarctica: the Scotia-Antarctic boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Shetland-Antarctic boundary (divergent, about 1.0 cm/yr) and the Scotia-Shetland boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Antarctica
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Antarctica. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 6 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Shetland Islands | M7.0 | 1971 | 15 km | Antarctic |
| South Shetland Islands | M6.9 | 1983 | 10 km | Scotia |
| South Shetland Islandstsunami | M6.9 | 2021 | 15 km | Antarctic |
| South Shetland Islands | M6.6 | 1933 | 10 km | Antarctic |
| South Shetland Islands | M6.6 | 2012 | 8 km | Shetland |
| South Shetland Islands | M6.5 | 2026 | 21 km | Shetland |
Volcanoes in Antarctica
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 19 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Antarctica, the 18th most of any country.
- Erebus Stratovolcano · 3,794 m Last eruption 2026
- Deception Island Caldera · 602 m Last eruption 1970
- Penguin Island Stratovolcano · 180 m Last eruption 1905
- Buckle Island Stratovolcano · 1,239 m Last eruption 1899
- Melbourne Stratovolcano · 2,732 m Last eruption 1892
- Hudson Mountains Stratovolcano(es) · 749 m Last eruption 207 BCE
- Pleiades, The Stratovolcano · 3,040 m Last eruption 1050 BCE
- Takahe Shield · 3,460 m Last eruption 5550 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Antarctica on?
Antarctica sits almost entirely on the Antarctic Plate (99.9% of its land), with small fringes on the Shetland Plate.
Is Antarctica on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Antarctica: the Scotia-Antarctic boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Shetland-Antarctic boundary (divergent, about 1.0 cm/yr) and the Scotia-Shetland boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
Does Antarctica get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Antarctica. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 6 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.0 South Shetland Islands in 1971.
Are there volcanoes in Antarctica?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 19 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Antarctica, the 18th most of any country.