Southern Europe
What tectonic plate is Portugal on?
Portugal spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (98%) and the African Plate (2.2%), plus slivers of the North American Plate.
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 4
- Holocene volcanoes
- 13
- Land area
- 90,758 km²
Plates under Portugal
Share of Portugal's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Portugal: the Eurasian-African boundary (convergent, about 0.6 cm/yr), the North American-African boundary (divergent, about 2.3 cm/yr) and the North American-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 1.5 cm/yr).
- Eurasian and African: convergent, 0.6 cm/yr
- North American and African: divergent, 2.3 cm/yr
- North American and Eurasian: divergent, 1.5 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Portugal
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Portugal. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 188 km SW of Sagres, Portugal | M7.8 | 1969 | 15 km | African |
| 29 km NE of Ribeira Seca, Portugal | M6.7 | 1980 | 10 km | African |
| 99 km SE of Senhora do Rosário, Portugal | M6.7 | 1939 | 10 km | Eurasian |
| 91 km SSE of Olhão, Portugal | M6.6 | 1964 | 29 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Portugal
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 13 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Portugal.
- Terceira Stratovolcano(es) · 1,023 m Last eruption 2000
- Fayal Stratovolcano · 1,041 m Last eruption 1958
- Monaco Bank Fissure vent · -197 m Last eruption 1911
- Sao Jorge Fissure vent · 1,053 m Last eruption 1902
- Sete Cidades Stratovolcano · 842 m Last eruption 1880
- Pico Stratovolcano · 2,351 m Last eruption 1720
- Don Joao de Castro Bank Shield · -13 m Last eruption 1720
- Picos Fissural Volcanic System Fissure vent · 350 m Last eruption 1652
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Portugal on?
Portugal spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (98%) and the African Plate (2.2%), plus slivers of the North American Plate.
Is Portugal on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Portugal: the Eurasian-African boundary (convergent, about 0.6 cm/yr), the North American-African boundary (divergent, about 2.3 cm/yr) and the North American-Eurasian boundary (divergent, about 1.5 cm/yr).
Does Portugal get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Portugal. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.8 188 km SW of Sagres, Portugal in 1969.
Are there volcanoes in Portugal?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 13 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Portugal.