Melanesia
What tectonic plate is Fiji on?
Fiji sits almost entirely on the Australian Plate (99.7% of its land), with small fringes on the Pacific Plate and Conway Reef Plate.
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 118
- Holocene volcanoes
- 2
- Land area
- 18,407 km²
Plates under Fiji
Share of Fiji's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
10 plate boundaries run through or along Fiji: the Pacific-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.2 cm/yr), the New Hebrides-Australian boundary (convergent, about 11.4 cm/yr), the Niuafo'ou-Australian boundary (divergent, about 8.3 cm/yr), the Conway Reef-New Hebrides boundary (divergent, about 8.7 cm/yr), the Balmoral Reef-Conway Reef boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr), the Australian-Conway Reef boundary (divergent, about 2.9 cm/yr), the Balmoral Reef-Australian boundary (transform, about 6.9 cm/yr), the Pacific-Balmoral Reef boundary (divergent, about 2.2 cm/yr), the Futuna-Australian boundary (transform, about 3.5 cm/yr) and the Futuna-Pacific boundary (transform, about 4.3 cm/yr).
- Pacific and Australian: convergent, 5.2 cm/yr
- New Hebrides and Australian: convergent, 11.4 cm/yr
- Niuafo'ou and Australian: divergent, 8.3 cm/yr
- Conway Reef and New Hebrides: divergent, 8.7 cm/yr
- Balmoral Reef and Conway Reef: convergent, 1.9 cm/yr
- Australian and Conway Reef: divergent, 2.9 cm/yr
- Balmoral Reef and Australian: transform, 6.9 cm/yr
- Pacific and Balmoral Reef: divergent, 2.2 cm/yr
- Futuna and Australian: transform, 3.5 cm/yr
- Futuna and Pacific: transform, 4.3 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the New Hebrides-Australian boundary, where the plates move about 11.4 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Fiji
Fiji is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 118 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Fiji since 1900, which ranks it 13 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji Earthquaketsunami | M8.2 | 2018 | 600 km | Australian |
| 45 km S of Levuka, Fijitsunami | M7.9 | 2018 | 671 km | Australian |
| Fiji region | M7.8 | 1919 | 485 km | Australian |
| south of the Fiji Islands | M7.8 | 2007 | 153 km | Kermadec |
| Fiji region | M7.7 | 2002 | 580 km | Australian |
| south of the Fiji Islands | M7.7 | 2002 | 675 km | Australian |
Volcanoes in Fiji
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Fiji.
- Nabukelevu Lava dome(s) · 791 m Last eruption 1660
- Taveuni Shield · 1,241 m Last eruption 1550
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Fiji on?
Fiji sits almost entirely on the Australian Plate (99.7% of its land), with small fringes on the Pacific Plate and Conway Reef Plate.
Is Fiji on a plate boundary?
10 plate boundaries run through or along Fiji: the Pacific-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.2 cm/yr), the New Hebrides-Australian boundary (convergent, about 11.4 cm/yr), the Niuafo'ou-Australian boundary (divergent, about 8.3 cm/yr), the Conway Reef-New Hebrides boundary (divergent, about 8.7 cm/yr), the Balmoral Reef-Conway Reef boundary (convergent, about 1.9 cm/yr), the Australian-Conway Reef boundary (divergent, about 2.9 cm/yr), the Balmoral Reef-Australian boundary (transform, about 6.9 cm/yr), the Pacific-Balmoral Reef boundary (divergent, about 2.2 cm/yr), the Futuna-Australian boundary (transform, about 3.5 cm/yr) and the Futuna-Pacific boundary (transform, about 4.3 cm/yr).
Does Fiji get earthquakes?
Fiji is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 118 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Fiji since 1900, which ranks it 13 of 213 countries. The largest was the M8.2 Fiji Earthquake in 2018.
Are there volcanoes in Fiji?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Fiji.