South-Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is Vietnam on?
Vietnam spans 2 tectonic plates: the Sunda Plate (54%) and the Eurasian Plate (46%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 2
- Land area
- 328,941 km²
Plates under Vietnam
Share of Vietnam's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
2 plate boundaries run through or along Vietnam: the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr) and the Eurasian-Yangtze boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Vietnam
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Vietnam. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 km SE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam | M6.8 | 1935 | 15 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Vietnam
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Vietnam.
- Cendres, Ile des Volcanic field · -20 m Last eruption 1923
- Ly Son Group Volcanic field · 157 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Vietnam on?
Vietnam spans 2 tectonic plates: the Sunda Plate (54%) and the Eurasian Plate (46%).
Is Vietnam on a plate boundary?
2 plate boundaries run through or along Vietnam: the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr) and the Eurasian-Yangtze boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr).
Does Vietnam get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Vietnam. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.8 27 km SE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam in 1935.
Are there volcanoes in Vietnam?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 2 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Vietnam.