Central America
What tectonic plate is Guatemala on?
Guatemala spans 2 tectonic plates: the North American Plate (89%) and the Caribbean Plate (11%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 28
- Holocene volcanoes
- 20
- Land area
- 108,481 km²
Plates under Guatemala
Share of Guatemala's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Guatemala: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr) and the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr).
- Caribbean and North American: transform, 1.7 cm/yr
- Caribbean and Cocos: convergent, 7.6 cm/yr
- Cocos and North American: convergent, 6.2 cm/yr
The fastest of these is the Caribbean-Cocos boundary, where the plates move about 7.6 cm/yr relative to each other. That is faster than fingernails grow.
Earthquakes in Guatemala
Guatemala has frequent large earthquakes: 28 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 32 of 213).
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 km SSW of La Gomera, Guatemala | M7.7 | 1942 | 35 km | North American |
| Near Quetzaltenango, Guatemala | M7.5 | 1902 | – | North American |
| 7 km N of Los Amates, Guatemala | M7.5 | 1976 | 5 km | Caribbean |
| 33 km S of Champerico, Guatemala | M7.4 | 2012 | 24 km | North American |
| 1 km NNW of Champerico, Guatemala | M7.2 | 1950 | 65 km | North American |
| 32 km NE of Chajul, Guatemala | M7.1 | 1921 | 15 km | North American |
Volcanoes in Guatemala
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 20 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Guatemala, the 17th most of any country.
- Santa Maria Stratovolcano · 3,745 m Last eruption 2026
- Fuego Stratovolcano(es) · 3,799 m Last eruption 2026
- Pacaya Complex · 2,569 m Last eruption 2021
- Tacana Stratovolcano · 4,064 m Last eruption 1986
- Acatenango Stratovolcano(es) · 3,976 m Last eruption 1972
- Atitlan Stratovolcano(es) · 3,535 m Last eruption 1853
- Almolonga Stratovolcano · 3,173 m Last eruption 1818
- Tecuamburro Stratovolcano · 1,845 m Last eruption 960 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Guatemala on?
Guatemala spans 2 tectonic plates: the North American Plate (89%) and the Caribbean Plate (11%).
Is Guatemala on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Guatemala: the Caribbean-North American boundary (transform, about 1.7 cm/yr), the Caribbean-Cocos boundary (convergent, about 7.6 cm/yr) and the Cocos-North American boundary (convergent, about 6.2 cm/yr).
Does Guatemala get earthquakes?
Guatemala has frequent large earthquakes: 28 of magnitude 6.5 or more struck in or just off the country since 1900 (rank 32 of 213). The largest was the M7.7 26 km SSW of La Gomera, Guatemala in 1942.
Are there volcanoes in Guatemala?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 20 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Guatemala, the 17th most of any country.