South America
What tectonic plate is Ecuador on?
Ecuador spans 3 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (61%), the North Andes Plate (36%) and the Nazca Plate (2.8%).
- Plates
- 3
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 36
- Holocene volcanoes
- 36
- Land area
- 255,667 km²
Plates under Ecuador
Share of Ecuador's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
4 plate boundaries run through or along Ecuador: the Cocos-Nazca boundary (divergent, about 5.6 cm/yr), the Nazca-South American boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-North Andes boundary (convergent, about 5.7 cm/yr) and the North Andes-South American boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
- Cocos and Nazca: divergent, 5.6 cm/yr
- Nazca and South American: convergent, 7.8 cm/yr
- Nazca and North Andes: convergent, 5.7 cm/yr
- North Andes and South American: convergent, 0.9 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 Ecuador
Ecuador has frequent large earthquakes: 36 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 23 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake | M8.8 | 1906 | 20 km | North Andes |
| 12 km SE of Pedernales, Ecuador | M7.8 | 1942 | 20 km | North Andes |
| 27 km SSE of Muisne, Ecuadortsunami | M7.8 | 2016 | 21 km | North Andes |
| 56 km NW of Valdez, Ecuador | M7.7 | 1979 | 24 km | North Andes |
| near the coast of Ecuador | M7.6 | 1958 | 28 km | North Andes |
| 115 km ESE of Palora, Ecuadortsunami | M7.5 | 2019 | 145 km | South American |
Volcanoes in Ecuador
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 36 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Ecuador, the 8th most of any country.
- Reventador Stratovolcano · 3,562 m Last eruption 2026
- Sangay Stratovolcano · 5,286 m Last eruption 2026
- Fernandina Shield · 1,476 m Last eruption 2024
- Cotopaxi Stratovolcano · 5,911 m Last eruption 2023
- Wolf Shield · 1,710 m Last eruption 2022
- Negra, Sierra Shield · 1,124 m Last eruption 2018
- Tungurahua Stratovolcano · 5,023 m Last eruption 2016
- Azul, Cerro Shield · 1,640 m Last eruption 2008
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Ecuador on?
Ecuador spans 3 tectonic plates: the South American Plate (61%), the North Andes Plate (36%) and the Nazca Plate (2.8%).
Is Ecuador on a plate boundary?
4 plate boundaries run through or along Ecuador: the Cocos-Nazca boundary (divergent, about 5.6 cm/yr), the Nazca-South American boundary (convergent, about 7.8 cm/yr), the Nazca-North Andes boundary (convergent, about 5.7 cm/yr) and the North Andes-South American boundary (convergent, about 0.9 cm/yr).
Does Ecuador get earthquakes?
Ecuador has frequent large earthquakes: 36 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 23 of 213). The largest was the M8.8 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake in 1906.
Are there volcanoes in Ecuador?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 36 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Ecuador, the 8th most of any country.