<p>A good database of tectonic plates is available at the <a href="http://ig.utexas.edu/marine-and-tectonics/plates-project/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Institute for Geophysics of the University of Texas</a>. The database includes <a href="http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/0.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">present conditions</a> and <a href="http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/recons.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">past and future conditions</a>. They provide ASCII files in their <a href="ftp://ftp.ig.utexas.edu" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ftp site</a>.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tpnVJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tpnVJ.jpg" alt="plates from UTIG"></a> <a href="http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/0.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a></p>

<p>Another option is the data from Peter Bird at UCLA that he described in his article <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2001GC000252" rel="nofollow noreferrer">"An updated digital model of plate boundaries", $G^3$, 2003</a>. He provides the data in ASCII format in their <a href="http://peterbird.name/oldFTP/PB2002/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ftp site</a> (they include a <a href="http://peterbird.name/oldFTP/PB2002/2001GC000252_readme.txt" rel="nofollow noreferrer">readme</a> file with the description of the data). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-06T13:26:08.120Z
2016-10-06T19:40:02.137Z
2016-10-06T19:40:02.137Z
arkaia
<p>I looking for a catalog (ideally in a ASCII file) of the major tectonic faults on earth, in order to plot some of them on a map</p>

<p>Any suggestion ?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-08T13:28:43.790Z
For further studies, you can have a look at [Gplates](https://www.gplates.org/). You can produce some really nice plots based on regarded plate reconstructions.
user2821
<plate-tectonics><tectonics>
tectonic faults catalog for plot
Covich
# tectonic faults catalog for plot

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-06)

I looking for a catalog (ideally in a ASCII file) of the major tectonic faults on earth, in order to plot some of them on a map

Any suggestion ?

**Tags:** plate-tectonics, tectonics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: For further studies, you can have a look at [Gplates](https://www.gplates.org/). You can produce some really nice plots based on regarded plate reconstructions.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-10-06. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

A good database of tectonic plates is available at the [Institute for Geophysics of the University of Texas](http://ig.utexas.edu/marine-and-tectonics/plates-project/). The database includes [present conditions](http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/0.htm) and [past and future conditions](http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/recons.htm). They provide ASCII files in their [ftp site](ftp://ftp.ig.utexas.edu).
[![plates from UTIG](https://i.sstatic.net/tpnVJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/tpnVJ.jpg) [Source](http://www-udc.ig.utexas.edu/external/plates/0.htm)

Another option is the data from Peter Bird at UCLA that he described in his article ["An updated digital model of plate boundaries", $G^3$, 2003](http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2001GC000252). He provides the data in ASCII format in their [ftp site](http://peterbird.name/oldFTP/PB2002/) (they include a [readme](http://peterbird.name/oldFTP/PB2002/2001GC000252_readme.txt) file with the description of the data).


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