Burma microplate
Also called: Burma plate · Topic: Continental Drift, Sea-floor Spreading and Plate Tectonics · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Burma microplate, also called the Burma plate, is a small tectonic plate between the Indian plate and the Sunda plate. It carries the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and western Myanmar. Along its western edge, the Indian plate sinks beneath it. This makes the region very prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. This topic is beyond NCERT.
Example
The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake (about Mw 9.1) broke about 1,300 km of the Burma microplate's boundary. It caused the Indian Ocean tsunami, which hit the Andaman-Nicobar Islands and India's eastern coast. India's tsunami warning centre at INCOIS watches this zone.
Don't confuse with
- NCERT's minor plates (Cocos, Nazca, Arabian, Philippine, Caroline): the Burma microplate is not in this list, so it should not be given as an NCERT minor plate.