Eastern Africa
What tectonic plate is Eritrea on?
Eritrea spans 2 tectonic plates: the African Plate (77%) and the Arabian Plate (23%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 8
- Land area
- 123,679 km²
Plates under Eritrea
Share of Eritrea's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Eritrea: the Arabian-African boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Somali-Arabian boundary (divergent, about 2.4 cm/yr) and the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Eritrea
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Eritrea. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 144 km NE of Massawa, Eritrea | M6.6 | 1977 | 33 km | Arabian |
Volcanoes in Eritrea
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 8 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Eritrea.
- Nabro Stratovolcano · 2,218 m Last eruption 2012
- Dubbi Stratovolcano · 1,625 m Last eruption 1861
- Alid Stratovolcano · 904 m Last eruption Unknown
- Mallahle Stratovolcano · 1,875 m Last eruption Unknown
- Sork Ale Stratovolcano · 1,611 m Last eruption Unknown
- Mousa Alli Stratovolcano · 1,993 m Last eruption Unknown
- Gufa Volcanic field · 600 m Last eruption Unknown
- Assab Volcanic Field Volcanic field · 987 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Eritrea on?
Eritrea spans 2 tectonic plates: the African Plate (77%) and the Arabian Plate (23%).
Is Eritrea on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Eritrea: the Arabian-African boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Somali-Arabian boundary (divergent, about 2.4 cm/yr) and the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Does Eritrea get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Eritrea. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.6 144 km NE of Massawa, Eritrea in 1977.
Are there volcanoes in Eritrea?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 8 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Eritrea.