What is the African Plate?
Q: What is the African Plate?
A: The African Plate is a major tectonic plate that includes much of the continent of Africa, as well as the oceanic crust which lies between the continent and various surrounding ocean ridges.
Q: How long ago did the Somali Plate begin rifting from the African Plate?
A: The Somali Plate began rifting from the African Plate along the East African Rift approximately 60 million years ago (mya).
Q: What are two hypotheses regarding why this rifting occurred?
A: Two hypotheses suggest that either a mantle plume beneath the Afar region caused this rifting, or it was just a zone of weakness as plates to its east moved northwards.
Q: How fast is the African Plate moving?
A: The African Plate's speed is about 2.15 cm (0.85 in) per year.
Q: In what direction has it been moving over past 100 million years?
A: Over past 100 million years, it has been moving in a general northeast direction.
Q: What happens when oceanic crust meets continental crust in parts of central and eastern Mediterranean?
A: When oceanic crust meets continental crust in parts of central and eastern Mediterranean, there is subduction.
Q: What other plates were once part of Gondwana with Indian subcontinent?
A:The African, Somali and Arabian Plates were all once part of Gondwana with Indian subcontinent.
