Amur plate
Minor tectonic plate in northern and eastern hemispheres.
The Amur plate, also known as the Amurian plate or occasionally the China plate, is a minor tectonic plate located in the northern and eastern hemispheres. It is named after the Amur River, which forms the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China. The plate is bounded by the Eurasian plate on the north, west, and southwest; the Okhotsk plate on the east; and the Philippine Sea plate, Okinawa plate, and Yangtze plate on the southeast. Its western boundary is unknown, and it is considered a division within the Eurasian plate.
- type
- Minor tectonic plate
- named_after
- Amur River
- bounded_by
- Eurasian plate, Okhotsk plate, Philippine Sea plate, Okinawa plate, Yangtze plate
- covers
- Northeastern China, Korean Peninsula, Sea of Japan, Shikoku, Kyushu, southwest Honshu, eastern Mongolia, south of Russian Far East
- notable_earthquakes
- 1975 Haicheng earthquake, 1976 Tangshan earthquake
- rotation
- Slowly rotating counterclockwise
Lore & Background
The Amurian plate is a minor tectonic plate whose boundaries include the Baikal Rift Zone and Stanovoy Mountains on the north, and the Qinling suture zone on the south. The Baikal Rift Zone is considered a boundary between the Amurian Plate and the Eurasian plate. GPS measurements indicate that the plate is slowly rotating counterclockwise. The boundary with the Okhotsk Plate is the eastern margin of the Sea of Japan.
Reader's Guide
The Amur plate is significant as a minor tectonic plate that may have been involved in major seismic events, including the 1975 Haicheng earthquake and the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China. Its boundaries are partly uncertain, particularly the western boundary, which remains unknown. The plate's slow counterclockwise rotation, measured by GPS, contributes to understanding regional tectonics in East Asia. Its coverage includes densely populated areas such as northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and parts of Japan, making its study relevant to earthquake hazard assessment. The plate is also notable for being a division within the larger Eurasian plate, with its southern boundary defined by the Qinling suture zone and its northern boundary by the Baikal Rift Zone and Stanovoy Mountains.
Did You Know?
- The Amur plate is also occasionally referred to as the China plate, but is not to be confused with the Yangtze plate.
- It is bounded on the southeast by the Philippine Sea plate along the Suruga Trough and the Nankai Trough.
- The Baikal Rift Zone is considered a boundary between the Amurian Plate and the Eurasian plate.
- GPS measurements indicate the plate is slowly rotating counterclockwise.
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