List of tectonic plates

[Image:Plate tectonics map.gif|thumb|Plate tectonics map from NASA]
This is a list of tectonic plates on Earth's surface. Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere. The plates are around thick and consist of two principal types of material: oceanic crust and continental crust. The composition of the two types of crust differs markedly, with mafic basaltic rocks dominating oceanic crust, while continental crust consists principally of lower-density felsic granitic rocks.

Current plates

Geologists generally agree that the following tectonic plates currently exist on Earth's surface with roughly definable boundaries. Tectonic plates are sometimes subdivided into three fairly arbitrary categories: major ''plates, minor plates, and microplates''.

Major plates

[Image:Tectonic plates boundaries World map Wt 180degE centered-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.85|Map showing Earth's principal tectonic plates and their boundaries in detail]
These plates comprise the bulk of the continents and the Pacific Ocean. For purposes of this list, a major plate is any plate with an area greater than.

–
–
–
–
* –
–
–
–

Minor plates

These smaller plates are often not shown on major plate maps, as the majority of them do not comprise significant land area. For purposes of this list, a minor plate is any plate with an area less than but greater than.

Microplates

These plates are often grouped with an adjacent principal plate on a tectonic plate world map. For purposes of this list, a microplate is any plate with an area less than. Some models identify more minor plates within current orogens like the Apulian, Explorer, Gorda, and Philippine Mobile Belt plates. The latest studies have shown that [|microplates] are the basic elements of which the crust is composed and that the larger plates are composed of amalgamations of these, and a subdivision of ca. 1200 smaller plates has come forward.

African plate
*
*
*
* Danakil microplate - a microplate at the Afar triple junction
Antarctic plate
*
*
*
Australian plate
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Caribbean plate
*
*
*
*
*
*
Cocos plate
*
Eurasian plate
*
*
*
*
*
* – Small tectonic plate in south Iceland, between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate
*
*
*
**
**
*
*
*
*
Nazca plate
*
*
North American plate
*
*
Pacific plate
*
*
*
*
*
* – 250,000 km²
**
**
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Philippine Sea plate
*
*
Scotia plate
*
Somali plate
*
South American plate
*
*
*

Ancient tectonic plates

In the history of Earth, many tectonic plates have come into existence and have over the intervening years either accreted onto other plates to form larger plates, rifted into smaller plates, or have been crushed by or subducted under other plates.
The following is a list of ancient cratons, microplates, plates, and terranes which no longer exist as separate plates. Cratons are the oldest and most stable parts of the continental lithosphere, and shields are exposed parts of them. Terranes are fragments of crustal material formed on one tectonic plate and accreted to crust lying on another plate, which may or may not have originated as independent microplates: a terrane may not contain the full thickness of the lithosphere.

African plate

Zaire Craton

Antarctic plate

Eurasian plate

Belomorian Craton
Central Iberian plate
East China Craton
and Eastern Kazakhstan
and the Junngar Basin in China
Moravo Silesian plate
Ossa-Morena plate
Proto-Alps terrane
South Portuguese plate
Tarim craton
Teplá-Barrandian terrane
Volgo-Uralian craton
Yakutai craton

Indo-Australian plate

Altjawarra Craton
Aravalli Craton
Bastar Craton
Bhandara Craton
Bundelkhand Craton
Central Craton
Curnamona Craton
Singhbhum Craton
. See Moa plate and Lord Howe Rise

North American plate

Mexican plate
Newfoundland plate
Nova Scotia plate
Sask Craton