Micronesia
What tectonic plate is Federated States of Micronesia on?
Federated States of Micronesia spans 2 tectonic plates: the Pacific Plate (77%) and the Philippine Sea Plate (23%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 11
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 524 km²
Plates under Federated States of Micronesia
Share of Federated States of Micronesia's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Federated States of Micronesia: the Philippine Sea-Caroline boundary (divergent, about 0.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Pacific boundary (convergent, about 4.2 cm/yr) and the Pacific-Caroline boundary (transform, about 1.1 cm/yr).
- Philippine Sea and Caroline: divergent, 0.4 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Pacific: convergent, 4.2 cm/yr
- Pacific and Caroline: transform, 1.1 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Philippine Sea-Pacific boundary, where the plates move about 4.2 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia has frequent large earthquakes: 11 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 43 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | M7.8 | 1911 | 15 km | Caroline |
| State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | M7.0 | 1929 | 10 km | Pacific |
| 199 km NNW of Fais, Micronesia | M7.0 | 1966 | 40 km | Philippine Sea |
| Federated States of Micronesia regiontsunami | M6.9 | 2014 | 13 km | Caroline |
| 32 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia | M6.9 | 1942 | 15 km | Pacific |
| 281 km S of Colonia, Micronesia | M6.8 | 1912 | 15 km | Caroline |
Volcanoes in Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia 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 Federated States of Micronesia on?
Federated States of Micronesia spans 2 tectonic plates: the Pacific Plate (77%) and the Philippine Sea Plate (23%).
Is Federated States of Micronesia on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Federated States of Micronesia: the Philippine Sea-Caroline boundary (divergent, about 0.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Pacific boundary (convergent, about 4.2 cm/yr) and the Pacific-Caroline boundary (transform, about 1.1 cm/yr).
Does Federated States of Micronesia get earthquakes?
Federated States of Micronesia has frequent large earthquakes: 11 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 43 of 213). The largest was the M7.8 State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia in 1911.
Are there volcanoes in Federated States of Micronesia?
Federated States of Micronesia has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.