Iranian_Plate

Iranian Plate

Iranian Plate

Small tectonic plate including Iran and Afghanistan, and parts of Iraq and Pakistan

Not to be confused with Iranian plateau.

The Iranian Plate is a small tectonic plate thought to underlie the Persian plateau, covering the modern-day countries of Iran and Afghanistan, and parts of Iraq and Pakistan. It is compressed between the Arabian Plate to the southwest, the Eurasian Plate to the north, and the Indian Plate to the southeast. This compression is likely a cause for the very mountainous terrain of the area including the Alborz and Zagros Mountains.

Topographic view of Iranian plateau, which is said to be situated on the Iranian microplate.

References

  • William Bayne Fisher: The Middle East: a Physical, Social, and Regional Geography. Routledge 1978, ISBN 978-0-416-71520-0, p. 15–16


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