Caribbean
What tectonic plate is Antigua and Barbuda on?
Antigua and Barbuda sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 2
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 433 km²
Plates under Antigua and Barbuda
Share of Antigua and Barbuda's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Antigua and Barbuda: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr) and the North American-South American boundary (divergent, about 0.2 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
- Caribbean and South American: convergent, 1.9 cm/yr
- North American and South American: divergent, 0.2 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Antigua and Barbuda. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda | M7.5 | 1974 | 47 km | Caribbean |
| 278 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbudatsunami | M6.6 | 2023 | 14 km | North American |
Volcanoes in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Antigua and Barbuda on?
Antigua and Barbuda sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
Is Antigua and Barbuda on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Antigua and Barbuda: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr) and the North American-South American boundary (divergent, about 0.2 cm/yr).
Does Antigua and Barbuda get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Antigua and Barbuda. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.5 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda in 1974.
Are there volcanoes in Antigua and Barbuda?
Antigua and Barbuda has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.