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ListoftectonicplatesWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Listoftectonicplates
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

ThisisalistoftectonicplatesonEarth.Tectonicplatesarepieces
ofEarth'scrustanduppermostmantle,togetherreferredtoasthe
lithosphere.Theplatesarearound100km(62mi)thickandconsist
oftwoprincipaltypesofmaterial:oceaniccrust(alsocalledsima
fromsiliconandmagnesium)andcontinentalcrust(sialfromsilicon
andaluminium).Thecompositionofthetwotypesofcrustdiffers
markedly,withbasalticrocks("mafic")dominatingoceaniccrust,
whilecontinentalcrustconsistsprincipallyoflowerdensitygranitic
rocks("felsic").SeealsoPlatetectonics.

The15majorplates

Contents
1 Currentplates
1.1 Majorplates
1.2 Minorplates

PlatetectonicsmapfromNASA

1.3 Microplates
2 Ancientcontinentalformations
2.1 Ancientsupercontinents
2.2 Ancientplatesandcratons
2.2.1 Africanplate
2.2.2 Antarcticaplate
2.2.3 Eurasianplate
2.2.4 IndoAustralianplate
2.2.5 NorthAmericanplate
2.2.6 SouthAmericanplate
3 References

Currentplates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates#Major_plates

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GeologistsgenerallyagreethatthefollowingtectonicplatescurrentlyexistontheEarth'ssurfacewith
roughlydefinableboundaries.Tectonicplatesaresometimessubdividedintothreefairlyarbitrary
categories:major(orprimary)plates,minor(orsecondary)plates,andmicroplates(ortertiaryplates).

Majorplates
ThesesevenplatescomprisethebulkofthecontinentsandthePacificOcean.Forpurposesofthislist,a
majorplateisanyplatewithanareagreaterthan20millionkm2.
PacificPlate103,300,000km2
NorthAmericanPlate75,900,000km2
EurasianPlate67,800,000km2
AfricanPlate61,300,000km2
AntarcticPlate60,900,000km2
IndoAustralianPlate58,000,000km2Oftenconsideredtwoplates:
AustralianPlate47,000,000km2
IndianPlate11,900,000km2
SouthAmericanPlate43,600,000km2

Minorplates
Thesesmallerplatesareoftennotshownonmajorplatemaps,asthemajoritydonotcomprisesignificant
landarea.Forpurposesofthislist,aminorplateisanyplatewithanarealessthan20millionkm2but
greaterthan1millionkm2.
SomaliPlate16,700,000km2
NazcaPlate5,500,000km2
PhilippineSeaPlate5,500,000km2
ArabianPlate5,000,000km2
CaribbeanPlate3,300,000km2
CocosPlate2,900,000km2
CarolinePlate1,700,000km2
ScotiaPlate1,600,000km2
BurmaPlate1,100,000km2
NewHebridesPlate1,100,000km2

Microplates
Theseplatesareoftengroupedwithanadjacentmajorplateonamajorplatemap.Forpurposesofthislist,
amicroplateisanyplatewithanarealessthan1millionkm2.Somemodelsidentifymoreminorplates
withincurrentorogensliketheApulian,Explorer,Gorda,andPhilippineMobileBeltplates.Theremayor
maynotbescientificconsensusastowhethersuchplatesshouldbeconsidereddistinctportionsofthe
crust,thusnewresearchcouldchangethislist.[1][2][3][4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates#Major_plates

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AfricanPlate
LwandlePlate
MadagascarPlate
RovumaPlate
Seychellesmicrocontinent
VictoriaPlate
AntarcticPlate
Kerguelenmicrocontinent
ShetlandPlate
SouthSandwichPlate
CaribbeanPlate
PanamaPlate
GonveMicroplate
CocosPlate
RiveraPlate
EurasianPlate
AdriaticPlate(orApulianPlate)
AegeanSeaPlate(orHellenicPlate)
AmurianPlate
AnatolianPlate
BandaSeaPlate
IberianPlate
IranianPlate
MoluccaSeaPlate
HalmaheraPlate
SangihePlate
OkinawaPlate
PelsoPlate
SundaPlate
TimorPlate
TiszaPlate
YangtzePlate
AustralianPlate
CapricornPlate
FutunaPlate
KermadecPlate
MaokePlate
Niuafo'ouPlate
SriLankaPlate
TongaPlate
WoodlarkPlate
NorthAmericanPlate
GreenlandPlate
OkhotskPlate
JuandeFucaPlate
ExplorerPlate
GordaPlate
PacificPlate
BalmoralReefPlate
Bird'sHeadPlate
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CarolinePlate
ConwayReefPlate
EasterPlate
GalapagosMicroplate
JuanFernandezPlate
KulaPlate
ManusPlate
NewHebridesPlate
NorthBismarckPlate
NorthGalpagosMicroplate
SolomonSeaPlate
SouthBismarckPlate
PhilippineSeaPlate
MarianaPlate
PhilippineMicroplate
SouthAmericanPlate
AltiplanoPlate
FalklandsMicroplate
NorthAndesPlate

Ancientcontinentalformations
InthehistoryofEarthmanytectonicplateshavecomeintoexistenceandhaveovertheinterveningyears
eitheraccretedontootherplatestoformlargerplates,riftedintosmallerplates,orhavebeencrushedbyor
subductedunderotherplates(orhavedoneallthree).

Ancientsupercontinents
Asupercontinentisalandmassconsistingofmultiplecontinentalcores.Thefollowinglistincludesthe
supercontinentsknownorspeculatedtohaveexistedintheEarth'spast:
Columbia
Euramerica
Gondwana
Kenorland
Laurasia
Nena
Pangaea
Pannotia
ProtoGondwana
ProtoLaurasia
Rodinia
Ur
Vaalbara

Ancientplatesandcratons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates#Major_plates

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Notallplateboundariesareeasilydefined,thisisespeciallytrueforancientpiecesofcrust.Thefollowing
listofancientcratons,microplates,plates,shields,terranes,andzonesnolongerexistasseparateplates.
Cratonsaretheoldestandmoststablepartsofthecontinentallithosphereandshieldsaretheexposedarea
ofacraton(s).Microplatesaretinytectonicplates,terranesarefragmentsofcrustalmaterialformedonone
tectonicplateandaccretedtocrustlyingonanotherplate,andzonesarebandsofsimilarrocksonaplate
formedbyterraneaccretionornativerockformation.Terranesmayormaynothaveoriginatedas
independentmicroplatessinceaterranemaynotcontainthefullthicknessofthelithosphere.
Africanplate
Atlantica
BangweuluBlock(Zambia)
CongoCraton(Angola,Cameroon,CentralAfricanRepublic,DemocraticRepublicofCongo,
Gabon,Sudan,andZambia)
KaapvaalCraton(SouthAfrica)
KalahariCraton(SouthAfrica)
SaharanCraton(Algeria)
SebakweprotoCraton(Zimbabwe)
TanzanianCraton(Tanzania)
WestAfricanCraton(Algeria,Benin,BurkinaFaso,Cted'Ivoire,Gambia,Ghana,Guinea,Guinea
Bissau,Liberia,Mali,Mauritania,Morocco,Nigeria,Senegal,SierraLeone,andTogo)
ZaireCraton(Congo)
ZimbabweCraton(Zimbabwe)
Antarcticaplate
BellingshausenPlate
CharcotPlate
EastAntarcticCraton
PhoenixPlate
Eurasianplate
Armorica(France,Germany,SpainandPortugal)
Avalonia(Canada,GreatBritain,andUnitedStates)
BalticPlate(Russia)
BelomorianCraton
CentralIberianPlate(Spain)
CimmerianPlate(Anatolia,Iran,Afghanistan,Tibet,IndochinaandMalaya)
EastChinaCraton(China)
EastEuropeanCraton(RussiaandScandinavia)
FennoscandianShield(Norway,Sweden,andFinland)
JunggarPlate(China)
Hunicplate
KarelianCraton(FinlandandRussia)
Kazakhstania(Kazakhstan)
KolaCraton(northwestRussia)
Lhasaterrane
MassifCentral
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates#Major_plates

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MoldanubianPlate(Austria)
MoravoSilesianPlate(CzechRepublic)
MidlandCraton(GreatBritain)
NorthAtlanticCraton
NorthChinaCraton(ChinaandKorea)
OssaMorenaPlate(Spain)
PiemontLiguriaPlate
ProtoAlpsTerrane(Austria)
RhenohercynianPlate
SarmatianCraton(Ukraine)
SarmatianCraton
SaxothuringianPlate
SiberianCraton(Russia)
SouthPortuguesePlate(Portugal)
TarimCraton(China)
TeplBarrandianTerrane(CzechRepublic)
UkrainianShield(Ukraine)
ValaisPlate
VolgoUralianCraton,(Russia)
YakutaiCraton,eastern(Russia)
YangtzeCraton(China)
IndoAustralianplate
AltjawarraCraton(Australia)
BhandaraCraton,(India)
BundelkhandCraton,(India)
DharwarCraton,(India)
CentralCraton(Australia)
CurnamonaCraton(Australia)
GawlerCraton(Australia)
IndianCraton(India)
NaroomaTerrane(Australia)
PilbaraCraton(Australia)
SinghbhumCraton(India)
YilgarnCraton(Australia)
WesternAustralianShield(Australia)
Zealandia,seeMoaPlateandLordHoweRise(NewZealand)

Basicgeologicalregionsof
Australia,byage.

NorthAmericanplate
Avalonia(Canada,GreatBritain,andUnitedStates)
CarolinaPlate
ChurchillCraton(Canada)
FarallonPlate(splitintotheCocos,Explorer,JuandeFuca,GordaPlates,NazcaPlate,andRivera
Plates)
FloridaPlate(UnitedStates)
HearneCraton(Canada)
LaurentianCraton(CanadaandUnitedStates)
InsularPlate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tectonic_plates#Major_plates

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IntermontanePlate
IzanagiPlate
MexicanPlate(Mexico)
Nainprovince(Canada)
NewfoundlandPlate(Canada)
NovaScotiaPlate
RaeCraton(Canada)
SaskCraton(Canada)
SclaviaCraton(Canada)
SlaveCraton(Canada)
SuperiorCraton(Canada)
WyomingCraton(UnitedStates)
SouthAmericanplate

Mapofchronostratigraphicdivisions
ofIndia

Amazoniancraton(Brazil)
GuianaShield(Brazil,Colombia,FrenchGuiana,Guyana,
Suriname,andVenezuela)
RioApascraton
RodelaPlatacraton(Uruguay)
SoFranciscocraton
ArequipaAntofallacraton

References
Bird,Peter(2003)Anupdateddigitalmodelofplate
boundaries
NorthAmericancratonsandbasement
rocks.

(http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2003_PB2002.htm)alsoavailableasalarge(13
[[MiB(http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2001GC000252.pdf))PDFfile]
1. TetsuzoSeno,TaroSakurai,andSethStein.1996.CantheOkhotskplatebediscriminatedfromtheNorth
Americanplate?J.Geophys.Res.,101,1130511315(abstract(http://www.eri.u
tokyo.ac.jp/seno/Old/ok_abst.html))
2. Bird,P.(2003)."Anupdateddigitalmodelofplateboundaries".Geochemistry,Geophysics,Geosystems4(3):
1027.doi:10.1029/2001GC000252(https://dx.doi.org/10.1029%2F2001GC000252).
http://peterbird.name/publications/2003_PB2002/2003_PB2002.htm.
3. TimothyM.Kusky,ErkanToraman,andTsilavoRaharimahefa(20061120)."TheGreatRiftValleyof
Madagascar:AnextensionoftheAfricaSomalidiffusiveplateboundary?".InternationalAssociationfor
GondwanaResearchPublishedbyElsevierB.V.
4. NielsHenriksen,A.K.Higgins,FeikoKalsbeekandT.ChristopherR.Pulvertaft(2000)."Greenlandfrom
ArchaeantoQuaternary"(PDF)(185).GreenlandSurveyBulletin.Retrieved20091004.

Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_tectonic_plates&oldid=701589024"
Categories: Geologyrelatedlists Tectonicplates

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