Hunter Fracture Zone

Hunter Fracture Zone
Geographical and geological relationships of the Hunter Fracture Zone. Zealandia is outlined in black.
EtymologyHunter Island
Coordinates20°40′01″S 177°00′00″W / 20.667°S 177.0°W / -20.667; -177.0
Tectonics
PlateAustralian, New Hebrides and the Conway Reef Microplate
StatusActive
AgeMiocene-current

The Hunter Fracture Zone is a sinistral (left-lateral) transform faulting fracture zone,[1] that to its south is part of a triple junction with the New Hebrides Trench, and the North Fiji Basin Central Spreading Ridge.[2] The Hunter Fracture Zone, with the Hunter Ridge, an area with recent volcanic activity to its north, is the southern boundary of the North Fiji Basin.[3] This boundary area in the south-western part of the Hunter Fracture Zone is associated with hot subduction, and a unique range of volcanic geochemistry.[4]

  1. ^ Durance et al. 2012, p915
  2. ^ Durance et al. 2012, p929
  3. ^ Sigurdsson, IA; Kamenetsky, VS; Crawford, AJ; Eggins, SM; Zlobin, SK (1993). "Primitive island arc and oceanic lavas from the Hunter ridge-Hunter fracture zone. Evidence from glass, olivine and spinel compositions". Mineralogy and Petrology. 47 (2): 149–69. Bibcode:1993MinPe..47..149S. doi:10.1007/BF01161564. S2CID 53477063.
  4. ^ Durance et al. 2012, p929