Approximate surface projection on Pacific Ocean of minor plates. Key:

   (red orange) New Hebrides Plate

   (brown) Balmoral Reef Plate - pale brown ? bordering block

   (orange) Conway Reef Plate

   (blue) Active subduction trenches

   (yellow) Spreading centers or rifts

Seismic context, is shown in a map in the article Vanuatu subduction zone . Mouse over shows feature names. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The Conway Reef Plate is a small tectonic plate ( microplate ) located in the south Pacific west of Fiji . ^[4] The western boundary is with the New Hebrides Plate while the eastern is with the Australian Plate . A short transform boundary also exists with the Balmoral Reef Plate . Much of the plate underlies the south central portion of the North Fiji Basin .

Within the North Fiji Basin it lies between the spreading centers of the Central Spreading Ridge on the west and the West Fiji Ridge on the east. ^[4] The plate is rotating counterclockwise with respect to all of its neighbours. ^[4]

The plate's existence was first modelled in 2003 by Bird. ^[4] Its boundaries and angular momentum were further defined in 2011 and 2018 with refinement of tectonic plate deformation and strain rate. ^{[5] [6]}

The region is complex and may well have several other microplates or blocks . ^[3]

See also [ edit ]

• North Fiji Basin

References [ edit ]

Sources [ edit ]