South Kermadec Ridge Seamounts

South Kermadec Ridge Seamounts
Bathymetry of the Kermadec volcanic island arc and surrounding areas
Location
LocationSouth Pacific Ocean
Coordinates35°30′S 178°12′E / 35.5°S 178.2°E / -35.5; 178.2
Geology
TypeSeamount chain

The South Kermadec Ridge Seamounts are a continuation of the volcanic island arc, formed at the convergent boundary where the Pacific Plate subducts under the Indo-Australian Plate. The subducting Pacific Plate created the Kermadec Trench, the second deepest submarine trench, to the east of the islands. The seamounts lie along the western aspect of the undersea Kermadec Ridge, which runs southwest from the Kermadec Islands towards the North Island of New Zealand and northeast towards Tonga (Kermadec-Tonga Arc).

This area of the Kermadec Arc - Havre Trough is a relatively young oceanic arc-back-arc system as it became active in the Quaternary. The seamounts include:

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