Eastern Africa
What tectonic plate is Kenya on?
Kenya sits almost entirely on the Somali Plate (99.7% of its land), with small fringes on the African Plate.
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 1
- Holocene volcanoes
- 21
- Land area
- 594,835 km²
Plates under Kenya
Share of Kenya's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Kenya: the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Kenya
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Kenya. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 km WNW of Nyahururu, Kenya | M6.7 | 1928 | 15 km | Somali |
Volcanoes in Kenya
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 21 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Kenya, the 15th most of any country.
- Barrier, The Shield · 1,032 m Last eruption 1921
- Emuruangogolak Shield · 1,285 m Last eruption 1910
- Lake Turkana South Island Stratovolcano · 800 m Last eruption 1888
- Longonot Stratovolcano · 2,776 m Last eruption 1863
- Chyulu Hills Volcanic field · 2,188 m Last eruption 1855
- Olkaria Pyroclastic cone(s) · 2,434 m Last eruption 1770
- Silali Shield · 1,528 m Last eruption 5050 BCE
- Menengai Shield · 2,278 m Last eruption 6050 BCE
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Kenya on?
Kenya sits almost entirely on the Somali Plate (99.7% of its land), with small fringes on the African Plate.
Is Kenya on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Kenya: the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Does Kenya get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Kenya. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 1 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.7 33 km WNW of Nyahururu, Kenya in 1928.
Are there volcanoes in Kenya?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 21 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Kenya, the 15th most of any country.