Plate data: Bird (2003), PB2002, converted by Hugo Ahlenius, Nordpil (ODC-By 1.0). Land: Natural Earth (India POV).
The Eurasian Plate carries most of Europe and Asia. PB2002 draws several smaller plates at its edges in East and Southeast Asia (Amur, Yangtze, Okhotsk, Sunda), so the Eurasian Plate here is smaller than on simple maps.
Its southern edge holds the most famous collision on Earth. USGS dates the collision of India into Asia to 50 million years ago. Continued convergence pushed up the Himalayas, which reach 8,854 m, and the Tibetan Plateau, which averages about 4,600 m. Most of that growth happened in the past 10 million years.
About 80 million years ago, India lay roughly 6,400 km south of Asia and moved north at about 9 m a century. When it rammed into Asia, its advance slowed by about half. The Himalayas, which stretch 2,900 km along the border between India and Tibet, still rise more than 1 cm a year, and USGS notes that the Eurasian Plate may now be stretching out rather than thrusting up. The pressure from India squeezes parts of Asia eastward toward the Pacific Ocean, and the stress is relieved by earthquakes on the many faults of the region (USGS).
In the west, the plate meets the North American Plate along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs through Iceland. Spreading there averages about 2.5 cm per year (USGS). Near Thingvellir, the site of Iceland's first parliament, the Althing, founded around AD 930, a fissure zone exposes the ridge on land, with the North American Plate pulling westward away from the Eurasian Plate (USGS). On this map Krafla Volcano and Laki, in Iceland, sit on the Eurasian side.1 USGS calls the 1783 Laki eruption one of the world's worst volcanic disasters: about 9,000 people, almost 20% of Iceland's population at the time, died of starvation after livestock grazed on grass contaminated by fluorine-rich gases (USGS).
Eurasian Plate in numbers
Measured from its PB2002 outline, the Eurasian Plate covers about 48.6 million km², or 9.5% of the
Earth's surface. That makes it number 5 by area of the 52 plates in the model.
It spans from 14°N to 87°N and from 35°W to 147°E.
Its edge is about 41,578 km long, mostly divergent:
43.3%divergentDivergent boundary. Plates pull away from each other and new crust forms between them. Source (18,003 km)
, 30.9%convergentConvergent boundary. Plates move toward each other and crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another. Source (12,865 km)
and 25.8%transformTransform boundary. Plates slide horizontally past each other. Crust is neither made nor destroyed. Source (10,710 km)
.
Countries whose main landmass sits on this plate: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herz., Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Countries that straddle a boundary
are listed under the plate that holds the center of their largest landmass.
Along its boundaries it moves a mean 2.0 cm/yr relative to its neighbors, fastest against the Indian Plate. Bird (2003)
Neighboring plates Neighbors. Plates that share a boundary with this plate. Most plate movement happens along these narrow zones between plates. Source
The Eurasian Plate shares a boundary with 11 plates in PB2002, longest shared edge first.
The longest, about 10,773 km, is with the North American Plate; the shortest, about 82 km, is with the Burma Plate.
Placed by point-in-polygon test on the PB2002 plate outlines (Bird 2003); not stated by USGS or Bird.
Eurasian Plate FAQ
How big is the Eurasian Plate?
About 48.6 million km², or 9.5% of the Earth's surface, measured from its PB2002 outline. It ranks 5 of 52 plates by area.
Which plates border the Eurasian Plate?
11 plates: North American Plate, Amur Plate, Indian Plate, African Plate, Yangtze Plate, Arabian Plate, Sunda Plate, Anatolia Plate, Okhotsk Plate, Aegean Sea Plate and Burma Plate.
What kind of plate boundaries does the Eurasian Plate have?
Mostly divergent boundaries. 43.3% divergent, 30.9% convergent, 25.8% transform, of 41,578 km in total.
How fast does the Eurasian Plate move?
Relative to its neighbors, a mean 19.8 mm/yr (2.0 cm/yr) along its boundaries in PB2002. The fastest boundary is with the Indian Plate.
