View source for Somali plate

{{short description|Minor tectonic plate including the east coast of Africa and the adjoining seabed}}
{{Infobox tectonic plate
| image = File:SomaliPlate.png
| type = [[List of tectonic plates#Minor plates|Minor]]
| area = 16,700,000 km<sup>2</sup><ref>Alden, Andrew (2017-03-17) [https://www.thoughtco.com/sizes-of-tectonic-or-lithospheric-plates-4090143 Here Are the Sizes of Tectonic or Lithospheric Plates]. thoughtco.com</ref>
| move_direction = south-east
| move_speed = 6 mm/year
| geo_features = [[East Africa]], [[Horn of Africa]], [[Gulf of Aden]], [[Socotra Archipelago]], [[Madagascar]], [[Indian Ocean]]
|image_alt=The Somali plate}}

The '''Somali plate''' is a [[list of tectonic plates#Minor plates|minor tectonic plate]] which straddles the [[Equator]] in the [[Eastern Hemisphere]].  It is currently in the process of separating from the [[African plate]] along the [[East African Rift]] Valley and moving to the Indian subcontinent.  It is approximately centered on [[geography of Madagascar|the island of Madagascar]] and includes about half of the east coast of Africa, from the [[Gulf of Aden]] in the north through the East African Rift Valley. The southern boundary with the Nubian–African plate is a diffuse plate boundary consisting of the [[Lwandle plate]].<ref name="Saria">{{Cite journal |last1=Saria |first1=E |last2=Calais |first2=E. |last3=Stamps |first3=D.S. |last4=Delvaux |first4=D. |last5=Hartnady |first5=C.J.H. |date=20 March 2014 |title=Present-day Kinematics of the East African Rift |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth |volume=119 |issue=4 |pages=3584–3600 |bibcode=2014JGRB..119.3584S |citeseerx=10.1.1.723.5337 |s2cid=128891002 |doi=10.1002/2013JB010901}}</ref>

==Geology==
The [[Arabian plate]] diverges to the north forming the [[Gulf of Aden]]. The [[Indian plate]], [[Australian plate]], and [[Antarctic plate]] all diverge from the Somali plate forming the eastern [[Indian Ocean]]. The Somali-Indian boundary spreading ridge is known as the [[Carlsberg Ridge]]. The Somali-Australian boundary spreading ridge is known as the [[Central Indian Ridge]]. The Somali-Antarctic boundary spreading ridge is known as the [[Southwest Indian Ridge]]. The western boundary with the [[African plate]] is diverging to form the [[East African Rift]], which stretches south from the [[triple junction]] in the [[Afar Triangle|Afar depression]]. The southern boundary with the Nubian–African plate is a diffuse plate boundary with the [[Lwandle plate]].<ref name=Saria/> The [[Seychelles]] and the [[Mascarene Plateau]] are located northeast of the Madagascar.

==Tectonic history==
From {{Gigaannum|1.4–1.2}} the [[Kibaran orogeny]] fused the Tanzanian and Congo cratons.<ref name=Rogers>{{cite book |isbn=9780195165890|url=http://marjoriejgreene.ga/continents-and-supercontinents-rogers-john-j-w-santosh-m.pdf|last1=Rogers |first1=J |last2=Santosh |first2=M |title=Continents and supercontinents |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |page=723}}</ref> From 1000 to 600 Ma the super-continent [[Gondwana]] was formed and the Pan-African [[orogeny]] sutured the Tanzanian and Kalahari [[craton]]s.<ref name=Rogers/> The [[rift]]ing of Gondwana occurred from 190 Ma to 47 Ma separating Madagascar from the eastern coast of Africa and placing the [[Seychelles]]/[[Mascarene Plateau]] northeast of Madagascar.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ali |first1=J |last2=Aitchison |first2=C |title=Gondwana to Asia: Plate tectonics, paleogeography and the biological connectivity of the Indian sub-continent from the Middle Jurassic through latest Eocene (166–35 Ma) |doi=10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.01.007|journal=Earth-Science Reviews |date=2008 |volume=88 |issue=3–4 |pages=145–166 |bibcode=2008ESRv...88..145A}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Plummer |first1=P |title=Ages and geological significance of the igneous rocks from Seychelles |journal=Journal of African Earth Sciences |date=1995 |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=91–101 |bibcode=1995JAfES..20...91P |doi=10.1016/0899-5362(95)00035-R}}</ref> The rifting of the Red Sea started around {{mya|30}} and the first rifting occurred in the northern West African Rift System around {{mya|20}}.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Chorowicz |first=Jean |title=The East African rift system |journal=[[Journal of African Earth Sciences]] |volume=43 |issue=1–3 |pages=379–410 |date=October 2005 |bibcode=2005JAfES..43..379C |doi=10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.07.019}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Victoria microplate]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Somali tectonic plate}}
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985PhDT.........5E Emerick, C. M., 1985, ''Age progressive volcanism in the Comores Archipelago and Northern Madagascar'', Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, PhD Thesis, Abstract]

{{Major African geological formations}}
{{Tectonic plates}}

[[Category:Tectonic plates]]
[[Category:Geology of Africa]]
[[Category:Geology of the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Geology of Somalia]]