Eastern Africa
What tectonic plate is Mauritius on?
Mauritius sits entirely on the Somali Plate.
- Plates
- 1
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 2
- Holocene volcanoes
- 0
- Land area
- 1,879 km²
Plates under Mauritius
Share of Mauritius's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
No plate boundary crosses Mauritius itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Somali Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Earthquakes in Mauritius
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Mauritius. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritius - Reunion region | M6.7 | 2012 | 20 km | Australian |
| Mauritius - Reunion region | M6.7 | 2021 | 10 km | Australian |
Volcanoes in Mauritius
Mauritius 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 Mauritius on?
Mauritius sits entirely on the Somali Plate.
Is Mauritius on a plate boundary?
No plate boundary crosses Mauritius itself, so it sits in the stable interior of the Somali Plate, although strong earthquakes can still reach it from nearby boundaries or older faults.
Does Mauritius get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Mauritius. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 2 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.7 Mauritius - Reunion region in 2012.
Are there volcanoes in Mauritius?
Mauritius has no volcanoes that have erupted in the last 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.