Central Asia
What tectonic plate is Turkmenistan on?
Turkmenistan sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 4
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 470,628 km²
Plates under Turkmenistan
Share of Turkmenistan's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
No plate boundary crosses Turkmenistan itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Eurasian Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Earthquakes in Turkmenistan
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Turkmenistan. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 km SSE of Baharly, Turkmenistan | M7.2 | 1929 | 10 km | Eurasian |
| 14 km N of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan | M7.2 | 1948 | 15 km | Eurasian |
| 40 km NE of Balkanabat, Turkmenistan | M7.0 | 1946 | 38 km | Eurasian |
| 37 km E of Balkanabat, Turkmenistan | M7.0 | 2000 | 30 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan on?
Turkmenistan sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
Is Turkmenistan on a plate boundary?
No plate boundary crosses Turkmenistan itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Eurasian Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Does Turkmenistan get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Turkmenistan. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M7.2 40 km SSE of Baharly, Turkmenistan in 1929.
Are there volcanoes in Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.