The Coriolis Troughs of the New Hebrides subduction zone

The Coriolis Troughs of the New Hebrides subduction zone are among the youngest backarc rifts in the world.

They reach depths of >3 km, despite their small size (<100 km in length and only 25–45 km wide) and their proximity to the arc front (∼50 km).

How do we ‘see’ #volcanoes in the deep sea? Check out this gorgeous bathymetry of #Vanuatu submarine back-arc, from https://t.co/rV6m7Chf5e pic.twitter.com/YXb7yEB4Xk

— GAC-VIP Division (@gacvip) July 18, 2017

The narrow, deep graben morphology is characteristic of magma-deficient arc rifts in the early stages of backarc extension, where the rate of extension and subsidence exceeds the magmatic input.

Unexpectedly, the youngest graben, the Vate Trough, contains a centrally-located 1000-m tall and 14-km wide shield volcano with a large, 5×8 km breached summit caldera.

Source: Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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