Northern Tonga Arc and Fonualei Rifts: initial results from the NoToVE (SS11/2004) Research Voyage
R. J. Arculus, Bob Beattie, Sam Burgess, Cameron Buchanan, Lauren Cooper, Jeff Cordell, Chris Dale, Samantha Hammond, Nicole Keller, Nicole Mikkelson, Mitzy Pepper, Kurt Worden, Rennie Vaiomo'unga and Tim Worthington
ASEG Extended Abstracts
2006(1) 1 - 5
Published: 2006
Abstract
The SS11/2004 research voyage of the Marine National Facility to the northern Tonga Arc and adjacent Fonualei Rifts (backarc) discovered several new submarine, basalt-to-rhyolite volcanic centres (stratovolcanoes and massive caldera systems) in the Arc. Numerous sector and caldera collapses were likely tsunamigenic. Fonualei Rifts lavas are a global backarc end-member with markedly low Na contents reflecting a highly refractory mantle wedge source coupled with high degrees of partial melting. The southern Rifts have captured the entire supra-subduction zone magma flux over about 150 km of strike; adjacent Arc volcanoes are inactive and carbonate capped.https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2006ab150
© ASEG 2006