Coriolis Troughs and southern New Hebrides Arc: primary tectonic results from the CoTroVE (SS06/2004) Research Voyage

Abstract

Recent research voyages using the Australian Marine National Facility, have discovered one of the world?s most youthful, magmatically-active backarc basins: the Coriolis Troughs. In detail, the localised structural consequences of the general clockwise rotation and extension inferred for the basement block of the southern New Hebrides Arc has been clearly revealed by 30 kHz multi-beam, sonar swath mapping of the Coriolis Troughs, and major submerged volcanoes in the southern part of the Arc. A left-lateral, transtensional faulting régime predominates both within the Troughs and the submarine Gemini-Oscostar (20°59¢S, 170°17¢E) and Volsmar (21°30¢S, 170°11¢E) volcanic complexes.