Caribbean
What tectonic plate is the Dominican Republic on?
The Dominican Republic sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 10
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 48,589 km²
Plates under the Dominican Republic
Share of the Dominican Republic's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along the Dominican Republic: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
Earthquakes in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic has frequent large earthquakes: 10 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 45 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic | M7.8 | 1946 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 11 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic | M7.1 | 1948 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 24 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | M7.0 | 1946 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 52 km S of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | M6.9 | 1984 | 24 km | Caribbean |
| 94 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | M6.8 | 1917 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 26 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic | M6.8 | 1916 | 100 km | Caribbean |
Volcanoes in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic 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 the Dominican Republic on?
The Dominican Republic sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
Is the Dominican Republic on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along the Dominican Republic: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr).
Does the Dominican Republic get earthquakes?
The Dominican Republic has frequent large earthquakes: 10 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 45 of 213). The largest was the M7.8 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic in 1946.
Are there volcanoes in the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.