Central America
What tectonic plate is Mexico on?
Mexico spans 2 tectonic plates: the North American Plate (93%) and the Pacific Plate (7.3%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 157
- Holocene volcanoes
- 30
- Land area
- 1.96 million km²
Plates under Mexico
Share of Mexico's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
7 plate boundaries run through or along Mexico: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr), the Cocos-Pacific boundary (divergent, about 10.0 cm/yr), the North American-Pacific boundary (convergent, about 5.6 cm/yr), the Rivera-Pacific boundary (transform, about 7.0 cm/yr), the North American-Rivera boundary (convergent, about 2.0 cm/yr) and the Rivera-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
- Cocos and North American: convergent, 6.2 cm/yr
- Cocos and Pacific: divergent, 10.0 cm/yr
- North American and Pacific: convergent, 5.6 cm/yr
- Rivera and Pacific: transform, 7.0 cm/yr
- North American and Rivera: convergent, 2.0 cm/yr
- Rivera and Cocos: convergent, 1.3 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Cocos-Pacific boundary, where the plates move about 10.0 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Mexico
Mexico is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 157 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Mexico since 1900, which ranks it 10 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tehuantepec, Mexico Earthquaketsunami | M8.2 | 2017 | 47 km | North American |
| Jalisco, Mexico Earthquake | M8.1 | 1932 | 35 km | North American |
| Michoacan, Mexico Earthquake | M8.0 | 1985 | 28 km | North American |
| Colima-Jalisco, Mexico Earthquake | M8.0 | 1995 | 33 km | North American |
| 15 km ESE of San Gabriel Mixtepec, Mexico | M8.0 | 1928 | 20 km | North American |
| Central Chiapas, Mexico | M7.8 | 1902 | – | North American |
Volcanoes in Mexico
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 30 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Mexico, the 11th most of any country.
- Popocatepetl Stratovolcano(es) · 5,393 m Last eruption 2026
- Colima Stratovolcano(es) · 3,850 m Last eruption 2019
- Socorro Shield · 1,050 m Last eruption 1994
- Tacana Stratovolcano · 4,064 m Last eruption 1986
- Chichon, El Lava dome(s) · 1,150 m Last eruption 1982
- Barcena Pyroclastic cone(s) · 332 m Last eruption 1953
- Michoacan-Guanajuato Volcanic field · 3,860 m Last eruption 1952
- Ceboruco Stratovolcano · 2,280 m Last eruption 1875
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Mexico on?
Mexico spans 2 tectonic plates: the North American Plate (93%) and the Pacific Plate (7.3%).
Is Mexico on a plate boundary?
7 plate boundaries run through or along Mexico: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr), the Cocos-Pacific boundary (divergent, about 10.0 cm/yr), the North American-Pacific boundary (convergent, about 5.6 cm/yr), the Rivera-Pacific boundary (transform, about 7.0 cm/yr), the North American-Rivera boundary (convergent, about 2.0 cm/yr) and the Rivera-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr).
Does Mexico get earthquakes?
Mexico is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 157 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Mexico since 1900, which ranks it 10 of 213 countries. The largest was the M8.2 Tehuantepec, Mexico Earthquake in 2017.
Are there volcanoes in Mexico?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 30 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Mexico, the 11th most of any country.