Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is Taiwan on?
Taiwan spans 3 tectonic plates: the Philippine Sea Plate (71%), the Yangtze Plate (27%) and the Okinawa Plate (2.0%).
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 88
- Holocene volcanoes
- 2
- Land area
- 35,992 km²
Plates under Taiwan
Share of Taiwan's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
5 plate boundaries run through or along Taiwan: the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 10.3 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Sunda boundary (transform, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Yangtze boundary (convergent, about 8.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 10.0 cm/yr) and the Yangtze-Okinawa boundary (divergent, about 3.4 cm/yr).
- Okinawa and Philippine Sea: convergent, 10.3 cm/yr
- Yangtze and Sunda: transform, 1.5 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Yangtze: convergent, 8.4 cm/yr
- Philippine Sea and Sunda: convergent, 10.0 cm/yr
- Yangtze and Okinawa: divergent, 3.4 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary, where the plates move about 10.3 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Taiwan
Taiwan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 88 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Taiwan since 1900, which ranks it 16 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hualien, Taiwan Earthquake | M8.2 | 1920 | 20 km | Philippine Sea |
| Taiwan Earthquake | M8.1 | 1910 | 235 km | Yangtze |
| Taiwan | M7.8 | 1951 | 30 km | Philippine Sea |
| 21 km S of Puli, Taiwan | M7.7 | 1999 | 33 km | Philippine Sea |
| 50 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan | M7.7 | 1922 | 20 km | Okinawa |
| 58 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan | M7.5 | 1951 | 25 km | Philippine Sea |
Volcanoes in Taiwan
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Taiwan.
- Kueishantao Stratovolcano · 361 m Last eruption 1853
- Tatun Volcanic Group Lava dome(s) · 1,120 m Last eruption 648
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Taiwan on?
Taiwan spans 3 tectonic plates: the Philippine Sea Plate (71%), the Yangtze Plate (27%) and the Okinawa Plate (2.0%).
Is Taiwan on a plate boundary?
5 plate boundaries run through or along Taiwan: the Okinawa-Philippine Sea boundary (convergent, about 10.3 cm/yr), the Yangtze-Sunda boundary (transform, about 1.5 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Yangtze boundary (convergent, about 8.4 cm/yr), the Philippine Sea-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 10.0 cm/yr) and the Yangtze-Okinawa boundary (divergent, about 3.4 cm/yr).
Does Taiwan get earthquakes?
Taiwan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 88 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Taiwan since 1900, which ranks it 16 of 213 countries. The largest was the M8.2 Hualien, Taiwan Earthquake in 1920.
Are there volcanoes in Taiwan?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Taiwan.