Somali plate

Somali plate
The Somali plate
TypeMinor
Approximate area16,700,000 km2[1]
Movement1south-east
Speed16 mm/year
FeaturesEast Africa, Socotra Archipelago, Madagascar, Indian Ocean
1Relative to the African plate

The Somali plate is a minor tectonic plate which straddles the Equator in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is currently in the process of separating from the African plate along the East African Rift Valley. It is approximately centered on the island of Madagascar and includes about half of the east coast of Africa, from the Gulf of Aden in the north through the East African Rift Valley. The southern boundary with the Nubian–African plate is a diffuse plate boundary consisting of the Lwandle plate.[2]

  1. ^ Alden, Andrew (2017-03-17) Here Are the Sizes of Tectonic or Lithospheric Plates. thoughtco.com
  2. ^ Saria, E; Calais, E.; Stamps, D.S.; Delvaux, D.; Hartnady, C.J.H. (20 March 2014). "Present-day Kinematics of the East African Rift". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 119 (4): 3584–3600. Bibcode:2014JGRB..119.3584S. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.723.5337. doi:10.1002/2013JB010901. S2CID 128891002.