Earth:Conway Reef Plate
<mapframe zoom="5" text="Approximate surface projection on Pacific Ocean of minor plates. Key:'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000000-QINU`"'<div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#d49a8f; color:black;"> </span> (red orange) New Hebrides Plate</div>'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000002-QINU`"'<div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#b29a8f; color:black;"> </span> (brown) Balmoral Reef Plate - pale brown ? bordering block</div>'"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000003-QINU`"'<div class="legend"><span class="legend-color mw-no-invert" style="background-color:#d4a88f; color:black;"> </span> (orange) Conway Reef Plate</div><div class="legend-line"><span style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:middle; width:1.67em; height:0px; border-style:none; border-top:2px dotted #000; border-top:blue solid 2px;"> </span> (blue) Active subduction trenches</div><div class="legend-line"><span style="display:inline-block; vertical-align:middle; width:1.67em; height:0px; border-style:none; border-top:2px dotted #000; border-top:yellow solid 3px;"> </span> (yellow) Spreading centers or rifts</div> Seismic context, is shown in a map in the article Vanuatu subduction zone. Mouse over shows feature names.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"''"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"''"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"'" align="right" height="400" latitude="-16.0" longitude="172.3" width="380">[{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [ { "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke-width":1, "stroke": "#aa4400", "fill": "#aa4400", "stroke-opacity":0.0, "fill-opacity":0.4, "title": "Balmoral Reef Plate" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [ [ [173.7923603,-16.8838080 ],[ 173.9021859,-16.7486507 ],[ 173.9245663,-16.7480779 ],[ 174.2102198,-16.6165271 ],[ 174.5247017,-16.4058637 ],[ 174.7485562,-16.3215333 ],[ 174.7900172,-16.3224341 ],[ 174.8601087,-16.6755012 ],[ 175.2556246,-16.9141422 ],[ 175.9148043,-16.6301278 ],[ 175.9449161,-16.6027796 ],[ 176.1528852,-16.5971825 ],[ 176.1812254,-16.6071376 ],[ 176.8211790,-16.5702859 ],[ 176.9955870,-16.4860269 ],[ 177.4089583,-16.4721791 ],[ 177.4199366,-16.2613359 ],[ 177.4171873,-16.1961079 ],[ 178.1911747,-16.0251634 ],[ 178.3449833,-15.8455730 ],[ 178.7075321,-15.6446600 ],[ 178.7624637,-15.4011814 ],[ 178.9390952,-15.3950838 ],[ 179.2420695,-15.5795621 ],[ 179.6970539,-15.5374880 ],[ 180.0861204,-15.6224102 ],[ 178.8840161,-14.5909357 ],[ 178.8510490,-14.6919269 ],[ 177.3347131,-14.2413799 ],[ 177.0383053,-14.1349615 ],[ 176.7579585,-14.0176575 ],[ 176.5275756,-14.0226435 ],[ 176.1595362,-13.9213613 ],[ 175.9727714,-13.7079883 ],[ 175.7750148,-13.6279242 ],[ 175.6266940,-13.6332705 ],[ 174.6586740,-13.7450973 ],[ 174.2988852,-13.7567157 ],[ 173.9253312,-13.7407071 ],[ 173.6623675,-13.8348125 ],[ 173.1954405,-13.8241473 ],[ 172.6955719,-13.8721448 ],[ 172.5666985,-13.9043863 ],[ 172.2755635,-13.9417062 ],[ 172.0173794,-14.0536397 ],[ 172.7867201,-14.5893860 ],[ 173.0724679,-14.8444968 ],[ 173.3126959,-15.0765922 ],[ 173.3131693,-15.0759344 ],[ 173.3955681,-15.3144792 ],[ 173.2533735,-15.4773995 ],[ 173.2792139,-15.5609460 ],[ 173.3671099,-15.7196390 ],[ 173.4550005,-15.9944109 ],[ 173.5424164,-16.2783707 ],[ 173.5753754,-16.4365004 ],[ 173.7923603,-16.8838080]]] } },{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke-width":1, "stroke": "#ffffff", "fill": "#aa4400", "stroke-opacity":0.0, "fill-opacity":0.1, "title": "Possible block/microplate bordering Balmoral Reef Plate2" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [ [ [178.8840185,-14.5909267 ],[ 179.0103452,-14.4633239 ],[ 179.2521477,-14.3249474 ],[ 179.5376970,-14.1918787 ],[ 179.7958355,-14.5595528 ],[ 180.0861204,-15.6224039 ],[ 178.8510461,-14.6919283 ],[ 178.8840185,-14.5909267]]] } },{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke-width":1, "stroke": "#ff4400", "fill": "#ff4400", "stroke-opacity":0.0, "fill-opacity":0.4, "title": "New Hebrides Plate" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [ [ [166.2225398,-14.1582898 ],[ 167.5182561,-13.6893622 ],[ 167.9652431,-13.7013175 ],[ 168.2810111,-13.7600069 ],[ 168.6174823,-13.7426630 ],[ 168.8715224,-13.6879688 ],[ 169.1764091,-13.6025536 ],[ 169.3358860,-13.6458154 ],[ 169.6105577,-13.6671709 ],[ 169.6676404,-13.8355401 ],[ 169.9148328,-13.8888693 ],[ 169.9325515,-14.1331912 ],[ 170.2428817,-14.0532820 ],[ 170.7592729,-13.9999799 ],[ 170.6986738,-14.1659927 ],[ 171.2589794,-14.1819794 ],[ 171.5885612,-14.1340400 ],[ 171.4992819,-13.9670274 ],[ 171.3749837,-13.9025622 ],[ 171.7045716,-13.9025598 ],[ 172.0012042,-13.7958898 ],[ 171.9993382,-13.9258004 ],[ 172.0173850,-14.0536398 ],[ 172.7867219,-14.5893814 ],[ 173.0724354,-14.8444623 ],[ 173.3126962,-15.0765874 ],[ 173.3131710,-15.0759361 ],[ 173.3955685,-15.3144821 ],[ 173.2533765,-15.4773999 ],[ 173.2792196,-15.5609490 ],[ 173.3671108,-15.7196372 ],[ 173.5424149,-16.2783654 ],[ 173.5753774,-16.4365037 ],[ 173.7923601,-16.8838133 ],[ 173.8833478,-16.9242133 ],[ 173.9273190,-16.9360279 ],[ 173.7679934,-17.4268154 ],[ 173.6979855,-17.7225811 ],[ 173.6471732,-18.0741351 ],[ 173.6093996,-18.1600595 ],[ 173.5738228,-18.2789650 ],[ 173.5643913,-18.5807463 ],[ 173.4655052,-19.4222163 ],[ 173.4113396,-19.9816904 ],[ 173.4874815,-20.7531261 ],[ 174.3073361,-20.7454185 ],[ 174.3196984,-20.9661530 ],[ 174.2922326,-21.2121643 ],[ 174.2427673,-21.4629935 ],[ 174.1768762,-21.7437896 ],[ 174.0328925,-22.3782981 ],[ 174.1666923,-23.1332985 ],[ 173.6729343,-23.3272158 ],[ 173.4619490,-23.2709745 ],[ 173.0518366,-23.3862522 ],[ 172.6614384,-23.4188088 ],[ 172.4836079,-23.3873034 ],[ 172.2384561,-23.3860401 ],[ 171.9802914,-23.3595662 ],[ 171.7490017,-23.3040851 ],[ 171.3341506,-23.2226152 ],[ 170.9224994,-23.1336147 ],[ 170.5459351,-22.9942342 ],[ 170.0971479,-22.7464419 ],[ 169.8137027,-22.7009547 ],[ 169.5206419,-22.5514851 ],[ 169.3327853,-22.1363550 ],[ 169.0198126,-21.8091744 ],[ 168.8862805,-21.6335298 ],[ 168.8021606,-21.5106760 ],[ 168.7452195,-21.4373901 ],[ 168.7095864,-21.2510241 ],[ 168.5702537,-20.8571997 ],[ 168.3979620,-20.5240774 ],[ 168.2658551,-20.1260280 ],[ 168.0623331,-19.7941693 ],[ 167.9079760,-19.6672250 ],[ 167.8662146,-19.4909696 ],[ 167.5772796,-18.9097140 ],[ 167.4760462,-18.5829818 ],[ 167.4763600,-18.4174749 ],[ 167.4598805,-18.2323593 ],[ 167.3444060,-17.9678357 ],[ 167.3332963,-17.7499990 ],[ 167.2828188,-16.9994049 ],[ 167.1092647,-16.7413629 ],[ 167.0510669,-16.4039436 ],[ 166.4392477,-15.9431031 ],[ 166.3001356,-15.3998737 ],[ 166.2681402,-14.8286725 ],[ 166.2805005,-14.5071874 ],[ 166.2225398,-14.1582898] ] ] } },{ "type": "Feature", "properties": { "stroke-width":1, "stroke": "#ff6600", "fill": "#ff6600", "stroke-opacity":0.0, "fill-opacity":0.4, "title": "Conway Reef Plate" }, "geometry": { "type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [ [ [175.9193175,-18.8204485 ],[ 175.9807187,-18.7339293 ],[ 176.1894754,-18.2650587 ],[ 176.2992529,-17.9100239 ],[ 176.3762382,-17.4179859 ],[ 176.1372748,-17.5615962 ],[ 175.9773830,-17.6815019 ],[ 175.9444293,-17.4510634 ],[ 176.0323146,-17.2203486 ],[ 176.1311862,-16.6738597 ],[ 176.1528853,-16.5971828 ],[ 175.9449175,-16.6027761 ],[ 175.9148070,-16.6301282 ],[ 175.2556249,-16.9141375 ],[ 174.8601090,-16.6755017 ],[ 174.7900237,-16.3224324 ],[ 174.7485675,-16.3215263 ],[ 174.5247023,-16.4058645 ],[ 174.2102240,-16.6165226 ],[ 173.9245862,-16.7480716 ],[ 173.9021911,-16.7486470 ],[ 173.7923573,-16.8838084 ],[ 173.8833083,-16.9242048 ],[ 173.9273287,-16.9360288 ],[ 173.7680281,-17.4267162 ],[ 173.6979801,-17.7225771 ],[ 173.6471688,-18.0741329 ],[ 173.6094141,-18.1600165 ],[ 173.5753822,-18.2784865 ],[ 173.5643997,-18.5807168 ],[ 173.4655246,-19.4220409 ],[ 173.4105305,-19.9807601 ],[ 173.4874804,-20.7531293 ],[ 174.3073352,-20.7454214 ],[ 174.3196975,-20.9661485 ],[ 174.2922316,-21.2121798 ],[ 174.2427690,-21.4629590 ],[ 174.1768698,-21.7438100 ],[ 174.0328888,-22.3782957 ],[ 174.1666936,-23.1332956 ],[ 174.6206574,-22.5102993 ],[ 175.2688508,-21.9203960 ],[ 175.6478791,-21.7546790 ],[ 175.8840851,-21.3050104 ],[ 176.1697297,-21.0514637 ],[ 175.7293545,-20.0811568 ],[ 175.6684687,-19.4901867 ],[ 175.6709848,-19.1835102 ],[ 175.7628800,-19.0065870 ],[ 175.9192985,-18.8204578 ],[ 175.9193175,-18.8204485] ] ] } } ]},{{Wikipedia:Map data/Vanuatu subduction zone}}]</mapframe>
The Conway Reef Plate is a small tectonic plate (microplate) located in the south Pacific west of Fiji.[4] The western boundary is with the New Hebrides Plate while the eastern is with the Australian Plate. A short transform boundary also exists with the Balmoral Reef Plate. Much of the plate underlies the south central portion of the North Fiji Basin.
Within the North Fiji Basin it lies between the spreading centers of the Central Spreading Ridge on the west and the West Fiji Ridge on the east.[4] The plate is rotating counterclockwise with respect to all of its neighbours.[4]
The plate's existence was first modelled in 2003 by Bird.[4] Its boundaries and angular momentum were further defined in 2011 and 2018 with refinement of tectonic plate deformation and strain rate.[5][6]
The region is complex and may well have several other microplates or blocks.[3].
See also
- North Fiji Basin
References
- ↑ Argus, Gordon & DeMets 2011, Table S2.
- ↑ Covellone, Savage & Shen 2015, Fig 5 (a),(b).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Szitkar et al. 2022, 2. Regional geological context.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bird 2003, 5.12. New Hebrides (NH), Conway Reef (CR), Balmoral Reef (BR), and Futuna (FT) Plates(?) in the New Hebrides-Fiji Orogen.
- ↑ Argus, Gordon & DeMets 2011, P2, Tables 1-3, Table S2.
- ↑ Wang et al. 2018, Table 1.
Sources
- Bird, Peter (2003). "An updated digital model of plate boundaries". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 4 (3): 1027. doi:10.1029/2001GC000252. Bibcode: 2003GGG.....4.1027B.
- Argus, D. F.; Gordon, R. G.; DeMets, C. (2011). "Geologically current motion of 56 plates relative to the no‐net‐rotation reference frame". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 12 (11): 1-13. doi:10.1029/2011GC003751. Bibcode: 2011GGG....1211001A. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1029/2011GC003751. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- Wang, S; Yu, H; Zhang, Q; Zhao, Y (15 May 2018). "Absolute plate motions relative to deep mantle plumes". Earth and Planetary Science Letters 490: 88-99. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2018.03.021.
- Covellone, BM; Savage, B; Shen, Y (15 June 2015). "Seismic wave speed structure of the Ontong Java Plateau". Earth and Planetary Science Letters 420: 140-50. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.03.033.
- Szitkar, F; Dyment, J; Pelleter, E; Thomas, Y; Marsset, B; Ker, S; Fouquet, Y (2022). "Effusive and explosive volcanism on the northern Futuna Ridge, Lau Basin: A combined bathymetric, magnetic and seismic investigation". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 431 (107646). doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2022.107646.
 |  |
