Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is China on?
China spans 3 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (69%), the Amur Plate (16%) and the Yangtze Plate (15%).
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 120
- Holocene volcanoes
- 10
- Land area
- 9.37 million km²
Plates under China
Share of China's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
9 plate boundaries run through or along China: the Eurasian-Indian boundary (convergent, about 4.7 cm/yr), the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 10.3 cm/yr), the Amur-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 1.0 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Sunda boundary (transform, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Yangtze boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Yangtze boundary (convergent, about 8.4 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Okinawa boundary (divergent, about 3.4 cm/yr) and the Amur-Yangtze boundary (transform, about 0.4 cm/yr).
- Eurasian and Indian: convergent, 4.7 cm/yr
- Okinawa and Philippine Sea: convergent, 10.3 cm/yr
- Amur and Eurasian: divergent, 1.0 cm/yr
- Eurasian and Sunda: convergent, 2.6 cm/yr
- Yangtze and Sunda: transform, 1.5 cm/yr
- Eurasian and Yangtze: divergent, 1.4 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Yangtze: convergent, 8.4 cm/yr
- Yangtze and Okinawa: divergent, 3.4 cm/yr
- Amur and Yangtze: transform, 0.4 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary, where the plates move about 10.3 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in China
China is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 120 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off China since 1900, which ranks it 12 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 km WSW of Shihezi, China | M8.0 | 1906 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 125 km E of Baiyin, China | M7.9 | 1920 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 172 km SE of Altay, China | M7.9 | 1931 | 10 km | Eurasian |
| 58 km W of Tianpeng, China | M7.9 | 2008 | 19 km | Eurasian |
| 108 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China | M7.8 | 1932 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| Southern Qinghai, China | M7.8 | 1937 | 15 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in China
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 10 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in China.
- Ashikule Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 5,090 m Last eruption 1951
- Hainan Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 196 m Last eruption 1933
- Changbaishan Stratovolcano · 2,744 m Last eruption 1903
- Wudalianchi Volcanic field · 597 m Last eruption 1776
- Longgang Group Volcanic field · 1,000 m Last eruption 350
- Arxan-Chaihe Volcanic field · 1,677 m Last eruption 0
- Jingpohu Volcanic field · 1,000 m Last eruption 520 BCE
- Tengchong Volcanic field · 2,865 m Last eruption 5750 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is China on?
China spans 3 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (69%), the Amur Plate (16%) and the Yangtze Plate (15%).
Is China on a plate boundary?
9 plate boundaries run through or along China: the Eurasian-Indian boundary (convergent, about 4.7 cm/yr), the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 10.3 cm/yr), the Amur-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 1.0 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Sunda boundary (transform, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Yangtze boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Yangtze boundary (convergent, about 8.4 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Okinawa boundary (divergent, about 3.4 cm/yr) and the Amur-Yangtze boundary (transform, about 0.4 cm/yr).
Does China get earthquakes?
China is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 120 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off China since 1900, which ranks it 12 of 213 countries. The largest was the M8.0 95 km WSW of Shihezi, China in 1906.
Are there volcanoes in China?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 10 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in China.