Western Asia
What tectonic plate is Armenia on?
Armenia sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 5
- Land area
- 29,558 km²
Plates under Armenia
Share of Armenia's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Armenia: the Arabian-Eurasian boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr).
The fastest of these is the Arabian-Eurasian boundary, where the plates move about 3.5 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Armenia
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Armenia. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 km N of Gogaran, Armenia | M6.8 | 1988 | 5 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Armenia
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 5 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Armenia.
- Porak Volcanic field · 3,029 m Last eruption 778 BCE
- Ghegham Volcanic Ridge Volcanic field · 3,597 m Last eruption 1900 BCE
- Vaiyots-Sar Pyroclastic cone(s) · 2,575 m Last eruption 2000 BCE
- Tskhouk-Karckar Pyroclastic cone(s) · 3,139 m Last eruption 3000 BCE
- Aragats Stratovolcano · 4,095 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Armenia on?
Armenia sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
Is Armenia on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Armenia: the Arabian-Eurasian boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr).
Does Armenia get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Armenia. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.8 10 km N of Gogaran, Armenia in 1988.
Are there volcanoes in Armenia?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 5 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Armenia.