South-Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is East Timor on?
East Timor sits entirely on the Timor Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 35
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 15,021 km²
Plates under East Timor
Share of East Timor's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
2 plate boundaries run through or along East Timor: the Timor-Australian boundary (transform, about 2.1 cm/yr) and the Banda Sea-Timor boundary (convergent, about 2.9 cm/yr).
- Timor and Australian: transform, 2.1 cm/yr
- Banda Sea and Timor: convergent, 2.9 cm/yr
Earthquakes in East Timor
East Timor has frequent large earthquakes: 35 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 26 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste | M7.5 | 2004 | 10 km | Timor |
| 145 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | M7.3 | 1917 | 140 km | Timor |
| 172 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | M7.3 | 1983 | 179 km | Timor |
| 125 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | M7.3 | 2021 | 165 km | Timor |
| 187 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste | M7.2 | 1969 | 431 km | Banda Sea |
| 58 km ENE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | M7.2 | 1905 | 35 km | Timor |
Volcanoes in East Timor
East Timor 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 East Timor on?
East Timor sits entirely on the Timor Plate.
Is East Timor on a plate boundary?
2 plate boundaries run through or along East Timor: the Timor-Australian boundary (transform, about 2.1 cm/yr) and the Banda Sea-Timor boundary (convergent, about 2.9 cm/yr).
Does East Timor get earthquakes?
East Timor has frequent large earthquakes: 35 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 26 of 213). The largest was the M7.5 63 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste in 2004.
Are there volcanoes in East Timor?
East Timor has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.