| African plate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Major |
| Approximate area | 61,300,000 km2 (23,700,000 sq mi)[1] |
| Features | Africa, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea |
The African plate, also known as the Nubian plate, is a major tectonic plate that includes much of the continent of Africa (except for its easternmost part) and the adjacent oceanic crust to the west and south. It is bounded by the North American plate and South American plate to the west (separated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge); the Arabian plate and Somali plate to the east; the Eurasian plate, Aegean Sea plate and Anatolian plate to the north; and the Antarctic plate to the south.
Between 60 million years ago and 10 million years ago, the Somali plate began rifting from the African plate along the East African Rift.[2] Since the continent of Africa consists of crust from both the African and the Somali plates, some literature refers to the African plate as the Nubian plate to distinguish it from the continent as a whole.[3]
- ^ "Sizes of Tectonic or Lithospheric Plates". About.com. Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "Somali Plate". Ashten Sawitsky. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ Chu, D.; Gordon, R.G. (1999). "Evidence for motion between Nubia and Somalia along the Southwest Indian ridge". Nature. 398 (6722): 64–67. Bibcode:1999Natur.398...64C. doi:10.1038/18014. S2CID 4403043.