Hikurangi Plateau
The Hikurangi Plateau is an oceanic plateau in the South Pacific Ocean east of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of a large igneous province (LIP) together with Manihiki and Ontong Java, now located 3,000 km (1,900 mi) and 3,500 km (2,200 mi) north of Hikurangi respectively. Mount Hikurangi, in Māori mythology the first part of the North Island to emerge from the ocean, gave its name to the plateau.
| Hikurangi Plateau | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Cretaceous | |
| Type | Igneous |
| Area | 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi), but was 800,000 km2 (310,000 sq mi) before more recent subduction |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Basalt |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 40°S 179°E |
| Region | South Pacific Ocean |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Mount Hikurangi, in Māori mythology the first part of the North Island to emerge from the ocean |
One of the major divisions of Zealandia, the Hikurangi Plateau (top right) drifted south and collided with parts of the mostly submerged continent. | |
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.