Manus Plate | |
---|---|
Type | Minor |
Movement1 | north-west |
Speed1 | 92mm/year |
Features | Pacific Ocean |
1Relative to the African Plate |
The Manus Plate is a 100-km microplate located northeast of New Guinea. The Manus Plate was formed in between the North Bismark Plate and the South Bismark Plate. The Manus Plate currently rotates counter-clockwise in the Melanesia area. [1]
The Manus Plate formed during the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal, making its maximum age approximately 781,000 years old. [2] The Manus Plate formed in-between and on top of the transform boundaries that were separating the North and South Bismark plates. [2] The plate was formed of young mid-ocean ridge basalt, along with pieces of older oceanic floor that had broken off of the South Bismarck plate. [2]
The north and northeast boundaries of the Manus Plate, with the North Bismark and Pacific plates are both convergent boundaries. [3] The plates southeast borders of the South Bismark plate is a divergent boundary. [3] The southwest boundary bordering the South Bismark plate is a transform boundary. The Manus plate currently has a rate of rotation of 51°/ Ma at the spot, -3.04°N, 150.46°E, in the counter-clockwise direction, due to the plates left lateral motion. [4] This is likely the fastest plate rotation, on Earth at this time. [4]