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 Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt
surface form: Alps–Apennines collision zone

Atlas Mountains
East African Rift
surface form: East African Rift System

Mid-Atlantic Ridge
surface form: Iceland hotspot via Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Mediterranean subduction zones
boundedBy Antarctic Plate
Arabian Plate
Caribbean Plate
Eurasian Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
surface form: 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 African Plate self-linksurface differs
surface form: Nubian Plate (main portion)

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 mid-ocean ridge system
surface form: 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.

Peñas del Chache locatedOn African Plate
this entity surface form: African tectonic plate
West African Craton partOf African Plate
Ol Doinyo Lengai tectonicPlate African Plate
Kalahari Craton partOf African Plate
proto-Africa modernRemnant African Plate
subject surface form: Proto-Africa
Afro-Arabian Rift System separates African Plate
Sandwich Plate boundedBy African Plate
Sandwich Plate separates African Plate
Sandwich Plate isSmallerThan African Plate
India Plate riftedFrom African Plate
this entity surface form: Africa Plate
Terceira Rift separates African Plate
Terceira Rift separates African Plate
this entity surface form: Nubian Plate
Azores Plateau relatedTo African Plate
Athi River basin locatedOn African Plate
Australian Plate and Antarctic Plate boundedBy African Plate
subject surface form: Antarctic Plate
Dead Sea Transform fault plate1 African Plate
Mozambique Basin isLocatedOnMarginOf African Plate
Anatolian Plate boundedBy African Plate
Sinai subplate partOf African Plate
this entity surface form: Africa Plate
Sinai subplate boundedBy African Plate
this entity surface form: Africa Plate
Sinai subplate hasMotionRelativeTo African Plate
this entity surface form: Africa Plate
Adriatic Plate bordersPlate African Plate
Cyprus microplate interactsWith African Plate
Methana volcano subductingPlate African Plate
northern Eritrea locatedOn African Plate
subject surface form: Northern Eritrea
Atlantic–Antarctic Ridge system plateBoundaryBetween African Plate
this entity surface form: African Plate and Antarctic Plate
Levantine Basin overlies African Plate
Carlsberg Ridge separates African Plate
Carlsberg Ridge relativeMotionBetween African Plate
this entity surface form: African Plate and Indian Plate
Gulf of Hammamet locatedOn African Plate