Abstract
A geophysical survey of the north central North Fiji Basin provides a high density data base for accurately charting seafloor morphology and defining major structural trends. The resulting bathymetric chart is believed to reliably portray the tectonic fabric of the basin and provide insight into the formation of the seafloor and development of associated structural features. The South Pandora Ridge (Hazel Holme Fracture Zone) appears to be a young or recently formed spreading ridge that bifurcates at its eastern end into the ENE-trending Rotuma Ridge and ESE-trending Tripartite Ridge. Southwest of South Pandora Ridge lies Pentecost Basin, interpreted to be originally formed along the western limb of the extinct central North Fiji Basin (CNFB) triple junction and now inundated, at its southwestern end, by sediment of the New Hebrides archipelagic apron. Southeast of the ridge lies Balmoral Basin, interpreted to be originally formed along the eastern limb of the old CNFB triple junction. Between the two basins lies a wedge of sediment-free ridge and trough terrain believed to be formed by a propagating rift. To the east, in the southern part of Balmoral Basin, Balmoral Ridge is interpreted to be the upraised leading edge of an overthrust block of North Fiji Basin crust, to the south of which lies the eastern end of the Fiji Fracture Zone, a presently active transform fault.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brocher, T.M., 1985, On the formation of the Vitiaz Trench Lineament and North Fiji Basin: in T.M. Brocher, ed., Investigations of the Northern Melanesian Borderland, Earth Science Series, v. 3: Houston, TX, Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources, p. 13–33.
Chase, C.G., 1971, Tectonic history of the Fiji Plateau: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 82, p. 3087–3110.
Chase, T.E., B.A. Seekins, J.D. Young, L.W. Kroenke, and V. von Stackelberg, 1987, Marine Topography of the Fiji Region, USGS-CCOOP/SOPAC South Pacific Project (unpublished).
Coulson, F.LE., RN. Richmond, P. Rodda, and L.W. Kroenke, 1975, Structure of the Fiji Platform: Mineral Resources Department, Fiji, unpublished report.
Cullen, D.J., 1974, Rotuma Bathymetry: N.Z. Oceanographic Institute Chart, Oceanic Series, 1:1, 000, 000.
Cullen, D.J., 1975, Kandavu Bathymetry: N.Z. Oceanographic Institute Chart, Oceanic Series, 1:1, 000, 000.
Daniel, J., 1982, Morphologie et structures superficielles de la portie sud de la zone de subduction des Nouvelles-Hebrides: in Equipe Geologie-Geophysique ORSTOM Noumea, Contribution a l’etude geodynamique du Sud-Ouest Pacifique, Travaux et Documents de l’ORSTOM, No. 147, p. 39–60.
Fairbridge, R.W., and H.B. Stewart, 1960, Alexa Bank, a drowned atoll on the Melanesian Border Plateau: Deep-Sea Research, v. 7, p. 100–116.
Green, D., and D.J. Cullen, 1973, The tectonic evolution of the Fiji region: in P.J. Coleman, ed., The Western Pacific: Island Arcs, Marginal Seas, Geochemistry, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, p. 127–145.
Halunen, A.J., 1979, Tectonic history of the Fiji Plateau: Ph.D. Dis-sertation, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 127 p.
Hamburger, M.W., and B.L. Isacks, Shallow seismicity in the North Fiji Basin, this volume.
Hawkins, J.W., 1974, Geology of the Lau Basin, a marginal sea behind the Tonga Arc: in C.A. Burk and C.L. Drake, eds., The Geology of Continental Margins, Springer-Verlag, New York, p. 505–520.
Kroenke, L.W., C. Jouannic, and P. Woodward, compilers, 1983, Bathymetry of the Southwest Pacific: Chart 1 of the Geophysical Atlas of the Southwest Pacific, CCOP/SOPAC.
Kroenke, L.W., J.V. Eade, and Scientific Party, Overview and principal results of the first joint CCOP/SOPAC tripartite cruise of the R/V KANA KEOKI, North Fiji Basin Survey (KK820316, Leg 03), this volume,a.
Kroenke, L.W., J.V. Eade, C.Y. Yan, and R. Smith, Sediment dis- tribution in the north central North Fiji Basin, this volume,b.
Launay, J., 1982, Morphologie et structure de l’arc insulaire des Nouvelles Hebrides dans sa terminaison sud: in Equipe Geologie-Geophysique ORSTOM Noumea, Contribution a l’etude geodynamique du Sud-Ouest Pacifique, Travaux et Documents de l’ORSTOM, No. 147, p. 163–178.
McMurtry, G.M., E.H. DeCarlo, and K.H. Kim, 1990, Geochemistry of north-central North Fiji Basin sediment, this volume.
Murray, J., 1895, A summary of the scientific results (in two parts): Report of the Scientific Results of the Exploring Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger 1872–1876, (London).
Neprochnov, Yu. P., I.M. Belousiv, V.P. Goncharov, A.A. Shreyder, V.N. Moskalelnko, N.A. Marova, I.N. Yel’niko, G.M. Valysshko, and N.A. Shiskina, 1974, Detailed geophysical investigations in the North Central Fiji Basin: Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR, v. 218, no. 3, p. 688–691.
Sinton, J.M., R.C. Price, K.T.M. Johnson, H. Staudigel, and A. Zindler, Petrology and geochemistry of submarine lavas from the Lau and North Fiji backarc basin, this volume.
Smith, R., and T. Raicebe, compilers, 1984, Bathymetric map of Fiji, Mineral Resources department, Suva.
Von Stackelberg, V., and Shipboard Scientific Party, 1985, Hydrothermal Sulfide Deposits in Back-Arc Spreading Centers in the Southwest Pacific: BGR Circular.
Wiseman, J.D.H. and C.D. Ovey, 1955, Proposed names of features on the deep-sea floor. 1. The Pacific Ocean: Deep-Sea Research, v. 2, p. 93–106.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kroenke, L.W., Smith, R., Nemoto, K. (1994). Morphology and Structure of the Seafloor in the Northern Part of the North Fiji Basin. In: Kroenke, L.W., Eade, J.V. (eds) Basin Formation, Ridge Crest Processes, and Metallogenesis in the North Fiji Basin. Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources Earth Science Series, vol 15. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-85043-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-85043-1_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-57372-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-85043-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive