Caribbean
What tectonic plate is Puerto Rico on?
Puerto Rico sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 2
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 8,943 km²
Plates under Puerto Rico
Share of Puerto Rico's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Puerto Rico: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
Earthquakes in Puerto Rico
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Puerto Rico. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | M7.7 | 1943 | 15 km | Caribbean |
| 24 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico | M7.1 | 1918 | 15 km | Caribbean |
Volcanoes in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico on?
Puerto Rico sits entirely on the Caribbean Plate.
Is Puerto Rico on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Puerto Rico: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr).
Does Puerto Rico get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Puerto Rico. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.7 45 km N of San Antonio, Puerto Rico in 1943.
Are there volcanoes in Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.