South-Eastern Asia
What tectonic plate is Laos on?
Laos spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (68%) and the Sunda Plate (32%).
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 2
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 228,945 km²
Plates under Laos
Share of Laos's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
A plate boundary runs through or along Laos: the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Laos
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Laos. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 km W of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam | M6.9 | 1983 | 33 km | Eurasian |
| 41 km S of Luang Namtha, Laos | M6.7 | 1925 | 15 km | Eurasian |
Volcanoes in Laos
Laos 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 Laos on?
Laos spans 2 tectonic plates: the Eurasian Plate (68%) and the Sunda Plate (32%).
Is Laos on a plate boundary?
A plate boundary runs through or along Laos: the Eurasian-Sunda boundary (convergent, about 2.6 cm/yr).
Does Laos get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Laos. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.9 43 km W of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam in 1983.
Are there volcanoes in Laos?
Laos has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.