South America
What tectonic plate is Chile on?
Chile spans 3 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (88%), the Altiplano Plate (8.5%) and the Scotia Plate (3.3%), plus slivers of the Nazca Plate.
- Plates
- 4
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 192
- Holocene volcanoes
- 90
- Land area
- 737,448 km²
Plates under Chile
Share of Chile's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
7 plate boundaries run through or along Chile: the Antarctic-Nazca boundary (transform, about 5.7 cm/yr), the Antarctic-South American boundary (transform, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-South American boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-Altiplano boundary (convergent, about 6.5 cm/yr), the Scotia-Antarctic boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Altiplano-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr) and the Scotia-South American boundary (transform, about 0.5 cm/yr).
- Antarctic and Nazca: transform, 5.7 cm/yr
- Antarctic and South American: transform, 1.8 cm/yr
- Nazca and South American: convergent, 7.8 cm/yr
- Nazca and Altiplano: convergent, 6.5 cm/yr
- Scotia and Antarctic: convergent, 1.2 cm/yr
- Altiplano and South American: convergent, 1.3 cm/yr
- Scotia and South American: transform, 0.5 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Nazca-South American boundary, where the plates move about 7.8 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Chile
Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 192 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Chile since 1900, which ranks it 8 of 213 countries.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) | M9.5 | 1960 | 25 km | South American |
| Maule, Chile Earthquake | M8.8 | 2010 | 23 km | South American |
| 94 km ENE of Vallenar, Chile | M8.5 | 1922 | 70 km | South American |
| 48 km W of Illapel, Chiletsunami | M8.3 | 2015 | 22 km | South American |
| Valparaiso, Chile Earthquake | M8.2 | 1906 | 35 km | South American |
| 121 km SSE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile | M8.2 | 1950 | 114 km | South American |
Volcanoes in Chile
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 90 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Chile, the 5th most of any country.
- Lascar Stratovolcano(es) · 5,592 m Last eruption 2026
- Planchon-Peteroa Stratovolcano(es) · 3,977 m Last eruption 2025
- Villarrica Stratovolcano · 2,847 m Last eruption 2025
- Copahue Stratovolcano · 2,953 m Last eruption 2024
- Chillan, Nevados de Stratovolcano · 3,180 m Last eruption 2022
- Calbuco Stratovolcano · 1,974 m Last eruption 2015
- Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Stratovolcano · 2,236 m Last eruption 2012
- Chaiten Caldera · 1,122 m Last eruption 2011
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Chile on?
Chile spans 3 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (88%), the Altiplano Plate (8.5%) and the Scotia Plate (3.3%), plus slivers of the Nazca Plate.
Is Chile on a plate boundary?
7 plate boundaries run through or along Chile: the Antarctic-Nazca boundary (transform, about 5.7 cm/yr), the Antarctic-South American boundary (transform, about 1.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-South American boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-Altiplano boundary (convergent, about 6.5 cm/yr), the Scotia-Antarctic boundary (convergent, about 1.2 cm/yr), the Altiplano-South American boundary (convergent, about 1.3 cm/yr) and the Scotia-South American boundary (transform, about 0.5 cm/yr).
Does Chile get earthquakes?
Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The USGS catalog lists 192 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off Chile since 1900, which ranks it 8 of 213 countries. The largest was the M9.5 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) in 1960.
Are there volcanoes in Chile?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 90 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Chile, the 5th most of any country.