Central Asia
What tectonic plate is Kazakhstan on?
Kazakhstan sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 2.71 million km²
Plates under Kazakhstan
Share of Kazakhstan's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
No plate boundary crosses Kazakhstan itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Eurasian Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Earthquakes in Kazakhstan
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Kazakhstan. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 km NNE of Zaysan, Kazakhstan | M6.6 | 1990 | 58 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan on?
Kazakhstan sits entirely on the Eurasian Plate.
Is Kazakhstan on a plate boundary?
No plate boundary crosses Kazakhstan itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Eurasian Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Does Kazakhstan get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Kazakhstan. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.6 47 km NNE of Zaysan, Kazakhstan in 1990.
Are there volcanoes in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.