Rifting History of the Woodlark Basin in the Southwest Pacific

Research Article| April 01, 1973 Rifting History of the Woodlark Basin in the Southwest Pacific B. P. LUYENDYK; B. P. LUYENDYK 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar K. C. MacDONALD; K. C. MacDONALD 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W. B. BRYAN W. B. BRYAN 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information B. P. LUYENDYK 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 K. C. MacDONALD 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 W. B. BRYAN 1Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1973) 84 (4): 1125–1134. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1973)84<1125:RHOTWB>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation B. P. LUYENDYK, K. C. MacDONALD, W. B. BRYAN; Rifting History of the Woodlark Basin in the Southwest Pacific. GSA Bulletin 1973;; 84 (4): 1125–1134. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1973)84<1125:RHOTWB>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Marine geophysical evidence has been obtained for the rate and history of sea-floor spreading in the Woodlark Basin. The eastern part of this basin is presently separating from the Australian Plate at over 4 cm per yr in a northerly direction. The western part of the basin is not presently spreading. This spreading rift marks the southern boundary of the Solomons Plate which is bounded by subduction zones in the north and east (the New Britain and northern Solomons Trenches, respectively) and in the west by a combination strike-slip rifting (dip-slip) boundary in eastern Papua (New Guinea). A vector triangle solution near the Solomons Trench-Woodlark Rift triple point gives underthrusting of the Solomons Plate beneath the northern Solomon Trench in a northeasterly direction at about 11 cm per yr.The Woodlark Basin began opening as a sphenochasm, with a pole near the tip of eastern Papua about 20 m.y. B.P. This was caused by left-lateral shear in the region induced by a change in the relative motion pole of the Australia and Pacific Plates. The basin opened only a few degrees at this time, then stopped. Rifting in the entire basin resumed about 3 m.y. B.P., based on magnetic anomaly data. About 1 m.y. B. P., the spreading center in the western basin shifted to the Woodlark Rise. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.