| Arabian plate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Minor |
| Approximate area | 5,000,000 km2[1] |
| Movement1 | North |
| Speed1 | 15–20 mm/year |
| Features | Arabia, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Red Sea |
| 1Relative to the African plate | |
The Arabian plate is a minor tectonic plate in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres.
It is one of the three continental plates (along with the African and Indian plates) that have been moving northward in geological history and colliding with the Eurasian plate. This collision is resulting in a mingling of plate pieces and mountain ranges extending in the west from the Pyrenees, crossing Southern Europe to Iranian plateau, forming the Alborz and the Zagros Mountains, to the Himalayas and ranges of Southeast Asia.[2]
- ^ "Sizes of Tectonic or Lithospheric Plates". Geology.about.com. 2014-03-05. Archived from the original on 2016-06-05. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
- ^ Image Science and Analysis Laboratory, NASA-Johnson Space Center. "Tectonics of the Arabian Plate". The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. NASA. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2007.