South-Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is Indonesia on?
Indonesia spans 8 tectonic plates: the Sunda Plate (64%), the Australian Plate (8.0%), the Bird's Head Plate (7.8%), the Banda Sea Plate (6.5%), the Maoke Plate (6.1%), the Molucca Sea Plate (3.8%), the Timor Plate (2.0%) and the Woodlark Plate (1.6%), plus slivers of the Burma Plate.
- Plates
- 9
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 442
- Holocene volcanoes
- 101
- Land area
- 1.87 million km²
Plates under Indonesia
Share of Indonesia's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
28 plate boundaries run through or along Indonesia: the Sunda-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.8 cm/yr), the Timor-Australian boundary (transform, about 2.1 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Maoke boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Australian boundary (divergent, about 2.2 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Caroline boundary (divergent, about 0.4 cm/yr), the Burma-Indian boundary (convergent, about 2.5 cm/yr), the Burma-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.1 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 10.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Bird's Head boundary (convergent, about 10.7 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Banda Sea boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Bird's Head boundary (transform, about 9.1 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Australian boundary (divergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Banda Sea boundary (convergent, about 7.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Timor boundary (transform, about 4.1 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Timor boundary (convergent, about 2.9 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Caroline boundary (convergent, about 2.5 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Australian-Maoke boundary (transform, about 1.3 cm/yr), the Australian-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 9.3 cm/yr), the Maoke-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 8.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Burma boundary (divergent, about 4.3 cm/yr), the Indian-Australian boundary (convergent, about 0.5 cm/yr), the Caroline-North Bismarck boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr), the Caroline-Woodlark boundary (convergent, about 7.0 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 6.1 cm/yr) and the North Bismarck-Woodlark boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr).
- Sunda and Australian: convergent, 5.8 cm/yr
- Timor and Australian: transform, 2.1 cm/yr
- Woodlark and Maoke: convergent, 2.6 cm/yr
- Woodlark and Australian: divergent, 2.2 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Caroline: divergent, 0.4 cm/yr
- Burma and Indian: convergent, 2.5 cm/yr
- Burma and Australian: convergent, 5.1 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Sunda: convergent, 10.0 cm/yr
- Sunda and Bird's Head: convergent, 10.7 cm/yr
- Molucca Sea and Sunda: convergent, 2.6 cm/yr
- Molucca Sea and Banda Sea: convergent, 3.5 cm/yr
- Molucca Sea and Bird's Head: transform, 9.1 cm/yr
- Banda Sea and Sunda: convergent, 1.8 cm/yr
- Banda Sea and Australian: divergent, 1.2 cm/yr
- Bird's Head and Banda Sea: convergent, 7.0 cm/yr
- Sunda and Timor: transform, 4.1 cm/yr
- Banda Sea and Timor: convergent, 2.9 cm/yr
- Bird's Head and Caroline: convergent, 2.5 cm/yr
- Bird's Head and Philippine Sea: convergent, 1.8 cm/yr
- Australian and Maoke: transform, 1.3 cm/yr
- Australian and Bird's Head: divergent, 9.3 cm/yr
- Maoke and Bird's Head: divergent, 8.0 cm/yr
- Sunda and Burma: divergent, 4.3 cm/yr
- Indian and Australian: convergent, 0.5 cm/yr
- Caroline and North Bismarck: convergent, 1.3 cm/yr
- Caroline and Woodlark: convergent, 7.0 cm/yr
- Woodlark and Bird's Head: divergent, 6.1 cm/yr
- North Bismarck and Woodlark: convergent, 7.8 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Sunda-Bird's Head boundary, where the plates move about 10.7 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 442 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Indonesia since 1900, which ranks it 1 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumatra - Andaman Islands Earthquake | M9.1 | 2004 | 30 km | Burma |
| 78 km WSW of Singkil, Indonesia | M8.6 | 2005 | 30 km | Sunda |
| Banda Sea Earthquake | M8.5 | 1938 | 25 km | Banda Sea |
| 122 km SW of Bengkulu, Indonesia | M8.4 | 2007 | 34 km | Sunda |
| Sumba, Indonesia Earthquake | M8.3 | 1977 | 16 km | Sunda |
| Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami | M8.2 | 1907 | 25 km | Burma |
Volcanoes in Indonesia
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 101 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Indonesia, the 4th most of any country.
- Marapi Complex · 2,885 m Last eruption 2026
- Merapi Stratovolcano · 2,910 m Last eruption 2026
- Semeru Stratovolcano · 3,657 m Last eruption 2026
- Lewotobi Stratovolcano(es) · 1,703 m Last eruption 2026
- Lewotolok Stratovolcano · 1,431 m Last eruption 2026
- Dukono Complex · 1,273 m Last eruption 2026
- Ibu Stratovolcano · 1,357 m Last eruption 2026
- Dempo Stratovolcano(es) · 3,142 m Last eruption 2025
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Indonesia on?
Indonesia spans 8 tectonic plates: the Sunda Plate (64%), the Australian Plate (8.0%), the Bird's Head Plate (7.8%), the Banda Sea Plate (6.5%), the Maoke Plate (6.1%), the Molucca Sea Plate (3.8%), the Timor Plate (2.0%) and the Woodlark Plate (1.6%), plus slivers of the Burma Plate.
Is Indonesia on a plate boundary?
28 plate boundaries run through or along Indonesia: the Sunda-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.8 cm/yr), the Timor-Australian boundary (transform, about 2.1 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Maoke boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Australian boundary (divergent, about 2.2 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Caroline boundary (divergent, about 0.4 cm/yr), the Burma-Indian boundary (convergent, about 2.5 cm/yr), the Burma-Australian boundary (convergent, about 5.1 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 10.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Bird's Head boundary (convergent, about 10.7 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Banda Sea boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr), the Molucca Sea-Bird's Head boundary (transform, about 9.1 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Australian boundary (divergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Banda Sea boundary (convergent, about 7.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Timor boundary (transform, about 4.1 cm/yr), the Banda Sea-Timor boundary (convergent, about 2.9 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Caroline boundary (convergent, about 2.5 cm/yr), the Bird's Head-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Australian-Maoke boundary (transform, about 1.3 cm/yr), the Australian-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 9.3 cm/yr), the Maoke-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 8.0 cm/yr), the Sunda-Burma boundary (divergent, about 4.3 cm/yr), the Indian-Australian boundary (convergent, about 0.5 cm/yr), the Caroline-North Bismarck boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr), the Caroline-Woodlark boundary (convergent, about 7.0 cm/yr), the Woodlark-Bird's Head boundary (divergent, about 6.1 cm/yr) and the North Bismarck-Woodlark boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr).
Does Indonesia get earthquakes?
Indonesia is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 442 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Indonesia since 1900, which ranks it 1 of 213 countries. The largest was the M9.1 Sumatra - Andaman Islands Earthquake in 2004.
Are there volcanoes in Indonesia?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 101 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Indonesia, the 4th most of any country.