Eastern Europe
What tectonic plate is Bulgaria on?
Bulgaria sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 5
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 112,419 km²
Plates under Bulgaria
Share of Bulgaria's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Bulgaria: the Aegean Sea-Anatolian boundary (divergent, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Aegean Sea-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 3.0 cm/yr) and the Anatolian-Eurasian boundary (transform, about 2.4 cm/yr).
- Aegean Sea and Anatolian: divergent, 1.5 cm/yr
- Aegean Sea and Eurasian: divergent, 3.0 cm/yr
- Anatolian and Eurasian: transform, 2.4 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Bulgaria
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Bulgaria. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 5 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 km S of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria | M7.1 | 1928 | 10 km | Eurasian |
| 3 km W of Brezovo, Bulgaria | M7.1 | 1928 | 10 km | Eurasian |
| 7 km SE of Stara Kresna, Bulgaria | M7.0 | 1904 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 6 km W of Stara Kresna, Bulgaria | M6.8 | 1904 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 5 km NNE of Lyaskovets, Bulgaria | M6.7 | 1913 | 15 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Bulgaria
Bulgaria 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 Bulgaria on?
Bulgaria sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
Is Bulgaria on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Bulgaria: the Aegean Sea-Anatolian boundary (divergent, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Aegean Sea-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 3.0 cm/yr) and the Anatolian-Eurasian boundary (transform, about 2.4 cm/yr).
Does Bulgaria get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Bulgaria. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 5 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.1 9 km S of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria in 1928.
Are there volcanoes in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.