Polynesia
What tectonic plate is French Polynesia on?
French Polynesia sits entirely on the Pacific Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 0
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 2,615 km²
Plates under French Polynesia
Share of French Polynesia's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
No plate boundary crosses French Polynesia itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Pacific Plate.
Earthquakes in French Polynesia
The USGS catalog has no earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or more centered in or just off French Polynesia since 1900. Smaller quakes still happen, and distant large ones can be felt.
Volcanoes in French Polynesia
French Polynesia has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is French Polynesia on?
French Polynesia sits entirely on the Pacific Plate.
Is French Polynesia on a plate boundary?
No plate boundary crosses French Polynesia itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Pacific Plate.
Does French Polynesia get earthquakes?
The USGS catalog has no earthquake of magnitude 6.5 or more centered in or just off French Polynesia since 1900. Smaller quakes still happen, and distant large ones can be felt.
Are there volcanoes in French Polynesia?
French Polynesia has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.