African Plate

E17078

The African Plate is a major tectonic plate that underlies the continent of Africa and adjacent oceanic crust, playing a key role in continental drift, seismic activity, and the formation of geological features such as rift valleys and mountain ranges.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (53)

Predicate Object
instanceOf major tectonic plate
tectonic plate
associatedWith Alps–Apennines collision zone
Atlas Mountains
East African Rift System
linked to: East African Rift

Iceland hotspot via Mid-Atlantic Ridge
linked to: Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Mediterranean subduction zones
boundedBy Antarctic Plate
Arabian Plate
Caribbean Plate
Eurasian Plate
Indian Plate
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Nazca Plate
Somali Plate
South American Plate
causes earthquakes along its boundaries
seafloor spreading in the Atlantic Ocean
volcanism in East Africa
containsFeature Nubian Plate (main portion)
linked to: African Plate

oceanic crust of Central Atlantic
oceanic crust of South Atlantic
continent Africa
hasBoundaryType convergent boundary
divergent boundary
transform boundary
hasType continental plate
oceanic plate
includesRegion Central Atlantic Ocean floor
East African Rift
Mediterranean Sea floor segments
Red Sea
Sahara Desert
South Atlantic Ocean floor
locatedIn Eastern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
motionDirection northeastward
northward
motionSpeed about 2.15 cm per year
movesRelativeTo Antarctic Plate
Eurasian Plate
South American Plate
partOf lithosphere
playsRoleIn continental drift
formation of mountain ranges
formation of rift valleys
seismic activity in Africa
riftingWith Somali Plate
separatingFrom North American Plate
South American Plate
underlies African continent
adjacent oceanic crust

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (86)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge separates African Plate
North American Plate hasBoundaryWith African Plate
Indo-Australian Plate hasBoundaryWith African Plate
Eurasian Plate hasBoundaryWith African Plate
Eurasian Plate interactsWith African Plate
Eurasian Plate movesRelativeTo African Plate
Romanche Fracture Zone tectonicPlate African Plate
Antarctic Plate borders African Plate
Antarctic Plate separatedFrom African Plate
Calypso Deep tectonicPlate African Plate
Southwest Indian Ridge separates African Plate
Hellenic Trench associatedWith African Plate
South American Plate borders African Plate
African Plate containsFeature Nubian Plate (main portion)
linked to: African Plate
Red Sea plateBoundaryBetween African Plate
Cumbre Vieja tectonicPlate African Plate
Western Mediterranean locatedOn African Plate
East African Rift partOf African Plate
East African Rift separates Nubian Plate
linked to: African Plate
Azores Triple Junction involvesPlate African Plate
Afar Triangle plateBoundary Nubian Plate
linked to: African Plate
Romanche Trench separates African Plate
breakup of Gondwana resultsIn African Plate
Arabian Plate borders African Plate
Arabian Plate isRiftingFrom African Plate
Mediterranean Ridge region separates African Plate
Aegean Sea Plate boundedBy African Plate
Aegean Sea Plate movesRelativeTo African Plate
Hellenic Arc plateInvolved African Plate
Central Indian Ridge separates African Plate
Indian Ocean Ridge system separates African Plate
Tyrrhenian region locatedOn African Plate margin
linked to: African Plate
Somali Plate partOf African Plate
Somali Plate separatingFrom African Plate
Somali Plate separatedFrom Nubian Plate
linked to: African Plate
Somali Plate movesRelativeTo Nubian Plate
linked to: African Plate
Iberian Plate borders African Plate
Iberian Plate interactsWith African Plate
Iberian Plate movementRelativeTo African Plate
province of Las Palmas locatedOn African tectonic plate
linked to: African Plate
Kaapvaal Craton partOf African Plate
Rift Valley escarpments locatedIn African Plate
Gregory Rift associatedWith African Plate
Great Rift Valley system associatedWith African Plate
Gloria Fault separates African Plate