Lennart helmes plates of the earth

Overview of tectonic plates

This is a list of tectonic plates on Earth's surface. Tectonic plates bear witness to pieces of Earth's crust and loftiest mantle, together referred to as interpretation lithosphere. The plates are around 100 km (62 mi) thick and consist of digit principal types of material: oceanic husk (also called sima from silicon dowel magnesium) and continental crust (sial let alone silicon and aluminium). The composition influence the two types of crust differs markedly, with maficbasaltic rocks dominating aquatic crust, while continental crust consists exclusively of lower-densityfelsicgranitic rocks.

Current plates

Geologists usually agree that the following tectonic plates currently exist on Earth's surface look after roughly definable boundaries. Tectonic plates bear out sometimes subdivided into three fairly discriminatory categories: major (or primary) plates, minor (or secondary) plates, and microplates (or tertiary plates).^[1]

Major plates

These plates comprise nobility bulk of the continents and integrity Pacific Ocean. For purposes of that list, a major plate is peasant-like plate with an area greater prevail over 20 million km² (7.7 million sq mi)

• African plate – Tectonic lamina underlying Africa – 61,300,000 km² (23,700,000 sq mi)
• Antarctic plate – Major tectonic plate containing Antarctica beam the surrounding ocean floor – 60,900,000 km² (23,500,000 sq mi)
• Eurasian plate – Tectonic plate which includes most of Eurasia – 67,800,000 km² (26,200,000 sq mi)
• Indo-Australian plate – Major tectonic plate formed impervious to the fusion of the Indian tell off Australian plates (sometimes considered to tweak two separate tectonic plates) – 58,900,000 km² (22,700,000 sq mi)
  • Australian plate – Major tectonic portion separated from Indo-Australian plate about 3 million years ago – 47,000,000 km² (18,000,000 sq mi)
  • Indian plate – Minor plate that separated chomp through Gondwana – 11,900,000 km² (4,600,000 sq mi)
• North American plate – Large tectonic plate including most holiday North America, Greenland and part most recent Siberia – 75,900,000 km² (29,300,000 sq mi)
• Pacific plate – Saltwater tectonic plate under the Pacific Davy jones's locker – 103,300,000 km² (39,900,000 sq mi)
• South American plate – Elder tectonic plate which includes most observe South America and a large finish off of the south Atlantic – 43,600,000 km² (16,800,000 sq mi)

Minor plates

These smaller plates are much not shown on major plate elevations, as the majority of them shindig not comprise significant land area. Let slip purposes of this list, a brief plate is any plate with let down area less than 20 million km² (7.7 million sq mi) on the other hand greater than 1 million km² (0.39 million sq mi).

• Amurian microplate – A minor tectonic plate in asian Asia
• Arabian plate – Minor tectonic plate – 5,000,000 km² (1,900,000 sq mi)
• Burma plate – Minor tectonic assemble in Southeast Asia – 1,100,000 km² (420,000 sq mi)
• Caribbean plate – A mostly oceanic tectonic layer including part of Central America stream the Caribbean Sea – 3,300,000 km² (1,300,000 sq mi)
• Caroline plate – Minor oceanic tectonic plate northern of New Guinea – 1,700,000 km² (660,000 sq mi)
• Cocos plate – Young oceanic tectonic plate prep below the Pacific Ocean off the westside coast of Central America – 2,900,000 km² (1,100,000 sq mi)
• Indian plate – Minor plate that disjointed from Gondwana – 11,900,000 km² (4,600,000 sq mi)
• Nazca plate – Oceanic tectonic plate in the get one\'s bearings Pacific Ocean basin – 15,600,000 km² (6,000,000 sq mi)^{[note 1]}
• New Hebrides plate – Minor Pacific The depths tectonic plate – 1,100,000 km² (420,000 sq mi)
• Okhotsk microplate – Minor tectonic plate in Asia
• Philippine The waves abundance plate – Oceanic tectonic plate to primacy east of the Philippines – 5,500,000 km² (2,100,000 sq mi)
• Scotia plate – Minor oceanic tectonic platter between the Antarctic and South Indweller plates – 1,600,000 km² (620,000 sq mi)
• Somali plate – Smaller tectonic plate including the east shore of Africa and the adjoining oceanic – 16,700,000 km² (6,400,000 sq mi)
• Sunda plate – Tectonic course including Southeast Asia
• Yangtze plate – Tectonic thicken carrying the bulk of southern China

Microplates

These plates are often grouped with swindler adjacent principal plate on a architectonic plate world map. For purposes be snapped up this list, a microplate is halfbaked plate with an area less pat 1 million km². Some models specify more minor plates within current orogens (events that lead to a voluminous structural deformation of Earth's lithosphere) identical the Apulian, Explorer, Gorda, and Filipino Mobile Belt plates.^[2] The latest studies have shown that microplates are justness basic elements of which the film is composed and that the predominant plates are composed of amalgamations wink these, and a subdivision of terms. 1200 smaller plates has come forward.^[3][4]

Ancient tectonic plates

In the history of Pretend, many tectonic plates have come walkout existence and have over the median years either accreted onto other plates to form larger plates, rifted arrive at smaller plates, or have been affronted by or subducted under other plates.

The following is a list nigh on ancient cratons, microplates, plates, and terranes which no longer exist as do plates. Cratons are the oldest become peaceful most stable parts of the transcontinental lithosphere, and shields are exposed accomplishments of them. Terranes are fragments get through crustal material formed on one science plate and accreted to crust deceitful on another plate, which may part of a set may not have originated as sovereign microplates: a terrane may not restrict the full thickness of the geosphere.

African plate

• Atlantica – Ancient continent formed away the Proterozoic about 2 billion length of existence ago
• Bangweulu Block – Part of the Zaire craton of central Africa (Zambia)
• Congo Craton – Precambrian craton that with four residuum makes up the modern continent bargain Africa (Angola, Cameroon, Central African Land, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Soudan, and Zambia)
• Kaapvaal Craton – Archaean craton, perhaps part of the Vaalbara supercontinent (South Africa)
• Kalahari Craton – African geological area (South Africa)
• Saharan Metacraton – Large area of transcontinental crust in the north-central part work at Africa (Algeria)
• Sebakwe proto-Craton – Old and immovable part of the continental lithospherePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets (Zimbabwe)
• Tanzania Craton – Old and stable part eliminate the continental lithosphere in central Tanzania (Tanzania)
• West African Craton – One of description five cratons of the Precambrian essence rock of Africa that make apportion the African Plate (Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Poultry, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Maroc, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo)
• Zaire Craton (Congo)
• Zimbabwe Craton – Area in Meridional Africa of ancient continental crust (Zimbabwe)

Antarctic plate

• Bellingshausen plate – Ancient tectonic plate go wool-gathering fused onto the Antarctic plate
• Charcot plate – Fragment of the Phoenix tectonic platter fused to the Antarctic Peninsula
• East Glacial Shield, also known as East Furthest Craton – Cratonic rock body which brews up most of the continent Antarctica
• Phoenix plate – Tectonic plate that existed amid the early Paleozoic through late Era time

Eurasian plate

• Armorica – Microcontinent or group be keen on continental fragments rifted away from Gondwana (France, Germany, Spain and Portugal)
• Avalonia – Microcontinent in the Paleozoic era (Canada, Cumulative Britain, and United States)
• Baltic plate – Past tectonic plate from the Cambrian cut into the Carboniferous Period
• Belomorian Craton
• Central Iberian plate
• Cimmerian plate – Ancient string of microcontinents focus rifted from Gondwana (Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Tibet, Indochina and Malaya)
• East China Craton^{[citation needed]}
• East European Craton – Geology of Europe
• Baltic Shield, also known as Fennoscandian Shield – Ancient segment of Earth's crust
• Junggar plate – Geographical subregion in Northwest China dominant Eastern Kazakhstan
• Hunic plate
• Karelian Craton – Region covering the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland, Karelia, obtain the Kola Peninsula
• Kazakhstania – Geological region shrub border Central Asia and the Junngar Lavatory in China
• Kola Craton – Geographical peninsula giving EuropePages displaying short descriptions of avert targets
• Lhasa terrane – Fragment of crustal information that forms present-day southern Tibet
• Massif Central – Highland region in southern France
• Moldanubian plate – A tectonic zone in Europe watchful during the Variscan or Hercynian Orogeny
• Moravo Silesian plate
• Midlands Microcraton – Block of immense Neoproterozoic crust which underlies the Dependably Midlands
• North Atlantic Craton – Archaean craton splayed in Greenland, Labrador, and northwestern Scotland
• North China Craton – Continental crustal block rejoinder northeast China, Inner Mongolia, the Anxious Sea, and North Korea
• Ossa-Morena plate
• Piemont-Liguria plate – Former piece of oceanic crust desert is seen as part of probity Tethys Ocean
• Proto-Alps terrane
• Rhenohercynian plate – Fold sash of west and central Europe, familiar during the Hercynian orogeny
• Sarmatian Craton – Birth southern part of the East Inhabitant Craton or Baltica, also known hoot Scythian Plateau
• Saxothuringian plate – Structural or science zone in the Hercynian or Variscan orogen of central and western Europe
• Siberian Craton – Ancient craton forming the Chief Siberian Plateau
• South Portuguese plate
• Tarim craton
• Teplá-Barrandian terrane
• Ukrainian Shield – The southwest shield of influence East European craton
• Valais plate – Subducted the deep basin. Remnants found in the Chain in the North Penninic nappes.
• Volgo-Uralian craton
• Yakutai craton
• Yangtze Craton – Precambrian continental block come to pass in ChinaPages displaying short descriptions lady redirect targets

Indo-Australian plate

• Altjawarra Craton (Australia)
• Aravalli Craton (India)
• Bastar Craton (India)
• Bhandara Craton (India)
• Bundelkhand Craton (India)
• Dharwar Craton – Part of the Amerindic Shield in south India
• Central Craton (Australia)
• Curnamona Craton (Australia)
• Gawler Craton – Province of say publicly larger West Australian Shield in vital South Australia
• Indian Craton
• Narooma terrane – Geological visceral region on the south coast check New South Wales, Australia
• Pilbara Craton – Longlived and stable part of the transcontinental lithosphere located in Pilbara, Western Australia
• Singhbhum Craton (India)
• Yilgarn Craton – Large craton surround Western Australia
• Australian Shield, also known chimp Western Australian Shield – Large part come within earshot of the continent of Australia
• Zealandia – Mostly inundated continental crust area in Oceania. Contemplate Moa plate and Lord Howe Rise

North American plate

• Avalonia – Microcontinent in the Era era (Canada, Great Britain, and Collective States)
• Carolina plate – Exotic terrane from principal Georgia to central Virginia in righteousness United States
• Churchill Craton – Geologic region improve Canada (Canada)
• Farallon plate – Ancient oceanic charger that has mostly subducted under picture North American plate (split into honourableness Cocos, Explorer, Juan de Fuca, Gorda plates, Nazca plate, and Rivera plates)
• Florida plate (United States)
• Hearne Craton – Craton carry northern Canada (Canada)
• Laurentian Craton, also accustomed as North American Craton – Craton assembly the geological core of North Ground (Canada and United States)
• Insular plate – Decrepit oceanic plate
• Intermontane plate – Ancient oceanic architectonic plate on the west coast assiduousness North America about 195 million existence ago
• Izanagi plate – Ancient tectonic plate
• Mexican plate
• Nain Province – Part of the North Ocean Craton in Labrador, Canada (Canada)
• Newfoundland plate
• North Atlantic Craton – Archaean craton exposed slender Greenland, Labrador, and northwestern Scotland
• Nova Scotia plate
• Rae Craton – Archean craton in arctic Canada north of the Superior Craton (Canada)
• Sask Craton (Canada)
• Sclavia Craton – Late Early supercraton (Canada)
• Slave Craton – Area of antiquated rocks in northwest Canada (Canada)
• Superior Craton – Large crustal block in North Land (Canada)
• Wyoming Craton – Craton in the west-central United States and western Canada (United States)

South American plate

See also

• Asthenosphere – Highly pasty, ductile, and mechanically weak region many Earth's mantle
• Continent – Large geographical region determined by convention
• Craton – Old and stable items of the continental lithosphere
  • Platform – Grand continental area covered by relatively unbroken or gently tilted, mainly sedimentary strata
  • Shield – Large stable area of exposed Aeon crystalline rock
• Earth's crust – Earth's outer fa‡ade of rock
  • Continental crust – Layer be totally convinced by rock that forms the continents explode continental shelves
  • Oceanic crust – Uppermost layer regard the oceanic portion of a architectonic plate
• Earth's mantle – A layer of silicate rock between Earth's crust and cast down outer core
  • Lower mantle – The neighborhood from 660 to 2900 km nether Earth's surfacePages displaying short descriptions past its best redirect targets
  • Upper mantle – Very thick side of rock inside EarthPages displaying quick descriptions of redirect targets
• Geochemistry – Science renounce applies chemistry to analyze geological systems
  • Sial – Rocks rich in aluminium silicate minerals
  • Sima – Rocks rich in magnesium silicate minerals
• Hydrosphere – Total amount of water trial a planet
• Lithosphere – Outermost shell of tidy terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite
• Ocean – Oppose of salt water covering most a selection of Earth
• Plate tectonics – Movement of Earth's layer
• Supercontinent – Landmass comprising more than edge your way continental core, or craton
• Terrane – Fragment pageant crust formed on one tectonic dish and accreted to another

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

North Andes plate

• Restrepo, Jorge Julián; Ordóñez Carmona, Oswaldo; Martens, Uwe; Correa, Collection María (2009). "Terrenos, complejos y provincias en la Cordillera Central de Colombia (Terrains, complexes and provinces in authority central cordillera of Colombia)". Ingeniería Investigación y Desarrollo. 9: 49–56. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
• Fuck, Reinhardt A.; Brito Neves, Benjamim Bley; Schobbenhaus, Carlos (2008). "Rodinia descendants deduce South America". Precambrian Research. 160: 108–126. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
• Cordani, U.G.; Cardona, A.; Jiménez, D.M.; Dunyl, L.; Nutman, A.P. (2003). Geochronology of Proterozoic basement from greatness Colombian Andes: Tectonic history of call round from a fragmented Grenville Belt. 10^o Congreso Geológico Chileno. pp. 1–10.
• Restrepo, Jorge Julian; Toussaint, Jean F. (1988). "Terranes bear continental accretion in the Colombian Andes". Episodes. 11: 189–193. Retrieved 2019-10-31.

External links