29+ Surprising Eurasian Plate Facts That Are Notable

What makes this world so special?

Apart from qualifying to be a habitable planet, Earth's uniqueness lies in its geological versatility. The presence of a variety of water bodies, as well as landforms, adds to its mesmerizing beauty.

Do you remember the history of Earth's origin from your childhood geography lessons? When the Earth was created some 4.6 billion years ago, the planet was nothing more than a hot ocean of magma, and there were no tectonic plates that formed its external surface.

At the time of its origin, there was no trace of life either. However, with the gradual cooling down of the magma, the upper crust developed.

The mantle of the earth was initially a unified and unbroken solidified layer. It took millions of years for the plates to break apart and dissociate from one another because of the gravitational forces exerted on Earth.

Presently, the Earth's surface is fragmented into two forms of crust, namely the continental and oceanic plates, among which seven are major plates, and many others form minor plates. The seven main tectonic plates are the African Plate, Antarctic Plate, Eurasian Plate, North American Plate, South American Plate, India-Australian Plate, and lastly, the Pacific Plate.

Among these, the North American, Antarctic, and Eurasian plates are the largest.

Some of the minor tectonic plates comprise the Caribbean Plate and the Arabian Plate. Did you know that the oceanic plates are comparatively thinner than the continental plates? To get acquainted with some more fascinating facts about the third-largest tectonic plate on Earth, keep reading.

These intriguing facts about the East Siberian sea and facts about plate boundaries are some of the best ways to learn about Earth and science.

Features Of The Eurasian Plate

Tectonic plates act like a blanket that covers the entire Earth's surface, just like an eggshell. However, unlike an eggshell that forms the exterior part of the egg, tectonic plates make up the hot interior of the earth's crust. Here's some more features of the Eurasian Plate:

• Another defining feature is that these plates don't remain stagnant.
• All the lithospheric plates of Earth exhibit some distinct features that set them apart from the others. These features are mainly determined by their location, movement, function, and expanse.
• As the name suggests, the Eurasian Plate comprises a majority of Europe, some sections of Asian continents, and Russia.
• The Eurasian Plate excludes the Indian and Arabian subcontinents, Indonesia, the Philippines, and some areas of East Siberia.
• Stretching for 26.18 million sq mi (67.8 million sq km) in size, the Eurasian Plate is the world's third-largest lithospheric plate ranking next to the North American Plate. 
• In general, the tectonic plates measure around 77.67 mi (125 km) in thickness, but below the mountain ranges, they become the thickest.
• The thickness of the continental plates is comparatively greater than the oceanic plates. Some plate tectonics is made up of either the continental or oceanic crust, while others possess a portion of both.
• In the case of the Eurasian Plate, it contains sections of the Arctic as well as the Antarctic Ocean, so it possesses both plates.
• The current shape of the continents that can be found on the geological map has resulted from the joining together or drifting apart of the tectonic plates of the earth.
• Some of the significant countries that are a part of the Eurasian Plate include Norway, Germany, Sweden, England, Austria, Ukraine, Poland, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.

Boundaries Of The Eurasian Plate

Let's take a glance at the continents that the Eurasian Plate skirts around and the other plates that serve as its neighbors.

• Can you imagine that there would have been no overseas continent to visit if the tectonic plates of the earth's crust didn't dismantle? Interestingly, if you take a close look at the geological map, then you'd notice that the earth appears to be a jigsaw puzzle with its scattered bits and pieces. When all these fragments are assembled and brought together, the earth's crust will become a unified whole.
• The North American Plate is located to the north of the Eurasian Plate, while the African Plate is on the west side. To the south, it shares borders with the Sunda, Arabian, and Indian plates. The Eurasian Plate is responsible for the bifurcation or tearing apart of Iceland.
• The Indian Plate forms convergent boundaries with the Eurasian Plate. Both the African Plate and Eurasian Plate also exhibit convergent boundaries. Are you aware that the Japan Trench segregates the Eurasian Plate from the Pacific Plate?

Collisions Of The Eurasian Plate

Now, do you know the differences between divergent and convergent boundaries? The former refers to the action of drifting apart from two tectonic plates, while the latter implies the collision between two plates. These collisions play a vital role in determining the earth's geodynamics.

• When and how did the formation of the Eurasian Plate take place? It's believed that the Eurasian Plate is about three billion years old. The west section of the Eurasian plate shares divergent boundaries with the North American plate, and each year, the plate tectonic diverges to the extent of around 1.18 in (3 cm).
• The movement speed of plate tectonics is excessively slow, as it only shifts around 0.27-0.55 in (7-14 mm) annually. This implies that it's even slower than the slowest sloth to have existed! In fact, the Eurasian plate motion has been recorded at an approximate rate of a quarter to almost half-inch every year. Due to this constant plate movement, collisions occur. 
• Around 40-50 million years ago, there was a massive collision between the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate that led to the formation of a lofty mountain range, what we today know as the Himalayas. Before colliding with the Eurasian Plate, the landmass of India was located to the south of the equatorial region. The Tibetan Plateau was formed as a consequence of another collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
• The movement of tectonic plates also leads to volcanic activities, tsunamis, as well as earthquakes on the earth's crust. A majority of these devastating natural disasters can be observed in the Ring of Fire region, where large tectonic plates often collide and rub against one another.
• When the Eurasian Plate collided with the Indian Plate, it crumbled and shoved the earth's crust upwards. In several cases, when the tectonic plates converge, the older and denser plate is thrust under the other less dense one. This process is commonly termed 'subduction'. When this subduction occurs on the ocean floor, trenches are created.
• The subduction zone also gives rise to volcanic chains near the plate boundaries. Therefore, volcanic eruptions can be noticed around the subduction zone. For instance, volcanic activity has been recorded along the west coast of the US, mostly in Oregon, Washington, and California.
• Collisions of the Eurasian Plate and the Indian Plate prove to be a major force that decides the geodynamics that characterizes the Asian continent.
• As you have already studied, earthquakes are characterized by the violent shaking movement of the earth's surface. They take place along fissures, cracks, or fault lines on the crust of the earth where the tectonic plates converge. When the plates meet, they give rise to the immense pressure that in turn causes breaking loose of the plates. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions resulting from the shifting tectonic plates often render a catastrophic blow to the nearby habitations. 
• Have you heard of the Great Sendai Earthquake? Also called the Great Tōhoku Earthquake, it was a severely destructive earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 that took place on March 11, 2011, in the northeastern region of Japan. The disaster was marked by a massive earthquake that impacted Honshu, the main island of Japan, and eventually gave way to a succession of tsunamis. The huge waves completely devastated several coastal regions of northeastern Honshu, particularly Tōhoku.
• The tsunamis were followed by a tragic nuclear accident when the nuclear power station located near the coast was triggered by the lashing waves. The earthquake occurred because of a rupture in the stretch on the subduction zone of the Japan Trench that divided the Eurasian Plate from the Pacific Plate. This cataclysmic disaster took the death toll to around 18,500 individuals, including the missing victims.

Interesting Eurasian Plate Facts

Did you know that some hot spots can also be traced on the third-largest lithospheric plate? Some mention-worthy hot spots found in this region include the Azores, Eifel, and Iceland hot spots.

It is contested by some geologists that some of these hot spots are actually breeding grounds for volcanic activities. Here are some intriguing facts about the Eurasian Plate.

• Since Earth is spherical in shape, the plate tectonics are also disintegrated in curved structures that are continually in motion. When these plate tectonics meet at a particular place, they're regarded as plate boundaries. The movement of tectonic plates helps to form several geographical features near the plate boundaries, such as ocean trenches, ridges, mountain ranges, a chain of volcanoes, fault lines, and island arcs. Just like the Tibetan plateau, the formation of the Alps was also caused due to the collision of African and Eurasian plate tectonics. 
• On the other hand, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the perfect example of continental drift. The ridge was formed as a result of divergence of plate tectonics when the pair of Eurasian Plate and North American Plate shifted to the north while the duo of African Plate and South American Plate drifted to the south. The ocean basins become wider in form with each passing year.
• The Mediterranean Sea is located in the trench that forms the plate boundaries between the Eurasian Plate and African Plate. The drifting apart of the Eurasian Plate and the North American Plate has given rise to innumerable volcanic eruptions around the plate boundaries of Iceland.
• Some noteworthy volcanic eruptions include the Laki eruption in 1783, which caused a drop in global temperatures after it occurred. Another volcanic eruption worth mentioning was the Eldfell eruption in 1973 which erupted for approximately six months and destroyed hundreds of homes in nearby areas.
• The plate tectonics engage in a rotational movement pattern. While some rotate in a clockwise direction, others follow the anti-clockwise function. For instance, the North American Plate rotates anti-clockwise while the contrary is noticed in the case of the Eurasian Plate as it moves towards the southern direction. However, the exact movements or speeds of a tectonic plate are extremely unpredictable because it is always in motion. This is one of the major reasons why disasters often lead to terrible losses of life and property, as it's so hard to monitor and manage. 
• From the moment of the creation of these tectonic plates, they have been on the move, and it can be inferred that they most probably won't stop until the extinction of Earth itself. However, geologists engage in studying the dynamics of these tectonic plates so that humanity can be better prepared for approaching disasters.