The 16°40′ S triple junction in the North Fiji Basin (SW Pacific) |
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Authors: | Y Lafoy J M Auzende E Ruellan P Huchon E Honza |
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Institution: | (1) GDR ‘Genèse et Evolution des Domaines Océaniques’, URA 1278, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 Avenue Le Gorgeu, 29287 Brest Cédex, France;(2) GDR ‘Genèse et Evolution des Domaines Océaniques’, Département ‘Géosciences Marines’, IFREMER, Centre de Brest, BP. 70, 29280 Plouzané, France;(3) Institut de Geodynamique (URA1279), CNRS, Rue A. Einstein, Sophia Antipolis, 06560 Valbonne, France;(4) ENS, 24 Rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France;(5) Geological Survey of Japan-Higashi, 305 Tsukuba, Japan |
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Abstract: | During the last three years, the North Fiji Basin (SW Pacific) has been intensively studied on three oceanographic cruises
carried out by French, American and Japanese ships. One of the main goals of these cruises was to study by means of precise
SeaBeam, SEAMARC II, seismic and magnetic surveys, the active spreading system and its associated hydrothermal processes.
The North Fiji basin, bounded by the major Pacific and Indo-Australian plates, shows a complex polyphased tectonic evolution.
One of the last phases of this evolution is the functioning since 3 Ma of a NS spreading center in the axial part of the basin.
The tectonic instability of the area resulted in a permanent rearrangement of the ridge axis. Among others, the 16°40′ S triple
junction is one of the major manifestations of such an instability. Sinistral strike-slip motion 1 Ma ago, along the North
Fiji Fracture Zone induced the change in direction of two segments of the axis from NS to N15 and N160. The first segment
is characterized by a typical spreading ridge similar to various parts of the EPR, while the second shows an atypical ‘en
echelon’ fan-shape opening. The N15 and N160 ridges converging with the North Fiji Fracture Zone constitute the 16°40′ S Ridge-Ridge-Fracture
Zone triple junction. The detailed morphologic and kinematic study of this junction allows us to understand one of the mechanisms
of the deformation in the North Fiji basin. |
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Keywords: | SW Pacific North Fiji Basin Triple Junction geodynamic Sea Beam mapping |
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