Western Asia
What tectonic plate is Yemen on?
Yemen sits almost entirely on the Arabian Plate (99% of its land), with small fringes on the Somali Plate.
- Plates
- 2
- M6.5+ quakes since 1900
- 4
- Holocene volcanoes
- 10
- Land area
- 454,138 km²
Plates under Yemen
Share of Yemen's land area on each plate (PB2002 model, Natural Earth outlines).
Plate boundaries
3 plate boundaries run through or along Yemen: the Arabian-African boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Somali-Arabian boundary (divergent, about 2.4 cm/yr) and the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Earthquakes in Yemen
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Yemen. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country.
| Earthquake | Magnitude | Year | Depth | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 170 km E of Hadibu, Yemen | M6.7 | 1908 | 10 km | Somali |
| 186 km NNW of Kilmia, Yemen | M6.6 | 1959 | 15 km | Somali |
| 156 km NW of Kilmia, Yemen | M6.6 | 2006 | 15 km | Arabian |
| 223 km N of Kilmia, Yemen | M6.5 | 1970 | 29 km | Somali |
Volcanoes in Yemen
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 10 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Yemen.
- Zubair Group Shield · 191 m Last eruption 2013
- Tair, Jebel at Stratovolcano · 244 m Last eruption 2008
- Sawad, Harra Es- Volcanic field · 1,737 m Last eruption 1253
- Arhab, Harra of Volcanic field · 3,100 m Last eruption 500
- Haylan, Jabal Volcanic field · 1,550 m Last eruption 1200 BCE
- Zukur Shield · 624 m Last eruption Unknown
- Hanish Shield · 422 m Last eruption Unknown
- Dhamar, Harras of Volcanic field · 3,500 m Last eruption Unknown
Frequently asked questions
What tectonic plate is Yemen on?
Yemen sits almost entirely on the Arabian Plate (99% of its land), with small fringes on the Somali Plate.
Is Yemen on a plate boundary?
3 plate boundaries run through or along Yemen: the Arabian-African boundary (divergent, about 1.4 cm/yr), the Somali-Arabian boundary (divergent, about 2.4 cm/yr) and the Somali-African boundary (divergent, about 0.3 cm/yr).
Does Yemen get earthquakes?
Large earthquakes are uncommon in Yemen. Since 1900 the USGS has recorded 4 of magnitude 6.5 or more in or just off the country. The largest was the M6.7 170 km E of Hadibu, Yemen in 1908.
Are there volcanoes in Yemen?
The Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program lists 10 volcanoes active in the last 12,000 years in Yemen.