Southern Asia
What tectonic plate is Pakistan on?
Pakistan spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (54%) and the Indian Plate (46%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 12
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 873,773 km²
Plates under Pakistan
Share of Pakistan's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Pakistan: the Arabian-Eurasian boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Indian boundary (convergent, about 4.7 cm/yr) and the Arabian-Indian boundary (transform, about 0.7 cm/yr).
- Arabian and Eurasian: convergent, 3.5 cm/yr
- Eurasian and Indian: convergent, 4.7 cm/yr
- Arabian and Indian: transform, 0.7 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Eurasian-Indian boundary, where the plates move about 4.7 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Pakistan
Pakistan has frequent large earthquakes: 12 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 41 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113 km NW of Bela, Pakistan | M7.7 | 2013 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 17 km WSW of Kalat, Pakistan | M7.6 | 1935 | 25 km | Eurasian |
| Near Pakistan | M7.6 | 2005 | 26 km | Eurasian |
| 14 km SSE of Mach, Pakistan | M7.2 | 1931 | 10 km | Indian |
| 46 km WSW of Dalbandin, Pakistan | M7.2 | 2011 | 68 km | Eurasian |
| 58 km SW of Bhag, Pakistan | M7.2 | 1909 | 15 km | Indian |
Volcanoes in Pakistan
Pakistan 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 Pakistan on?
Pakistan spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (54%) and the Indian Plate (46%).
Is Pakistan on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Pakistan: the Arabian-Eurasian boundary (convergent, about 3.5 cm/yr), the Eurasian-Indian boundary (convergent, about 4.7 cm/yr) and the Arabian-Indian boundary (transform, about 0.7 cm/yr).
Does Pakistan get earthquakes?
Pakistan has frequent large earthquakes: 12 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 41 of 213). The largest was the M7.7 113 km NW of Bela, Pakistan in 2013.
Are there volcanoes in Pakistan?
Pakistan has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.