Oceanic basin in the South Pacific Ocean between Fiji and Tonga
Approximate surface projection on Pacific Ocean of Lau Basin. Spreading centers are shown in yellow.
The Lau Basin in the upper part of the arc-backarc complex
The Lau Basin is a back-arc basin (also addressed as "interarc basin"[ 1] ) at the Australian-Pacific plate boundary. It is formed by the Pacific plate subducting under the Australian plate . The Tonga-Kermadec Ridge , a frontal arc, and the Lau-Colville Ridge , a remnant arc , sit to the eastern and western sides of the basin, respectively.[ 2] The basin has a raised transition area to the south where it joins the Havre Trough .
^ Karig, D. E. (1970). "Ridges and basins of the Tonga-Kermadec island arc system". Journal of Geophysical Research . 75 (2): 239–254. Bibcode :1970JGR....75..239K . doi :10.1029/JB075i002p00239 .
^ Gill, J. B. 1976. "Composition and Age of Lau Basin and Ridge Volcanic Rocks: Implications for Evolution of an Interarc Basin and Remnant Arc." Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 87 (10): 1384–1395.