1887
Volume 22, Issue 2
  • ISSN: 0812-3985
  • E-ISSN: 1834-7533

Abstract

The New Caledonia Basin is a major bathymetric feature extending northwest from Taranaki, New Zealand, between the Challenger Plateau/Lord Howe Rise and the Norfolk Ridge. Interpretations of gravity data and seismic refraction velocities indicate that crustal thinning did not proceed to formation of ocean crust. Rifting was pre-Cenozoic, and may be pre-Cretaceous. Major transverse or transform faults may have accommodated oblique rifting. Cenozoic volcanism was influenced by these earlier structures. Channels and turbidites within the Plio-Pleistocene section reveal the continuation of a submarine distributary system from the Taranaki continental shelf. Seismic stratigraphy, the volume and thicknesses of sediment observed, and the likely maturation levels suggest potential for hydrocarbon accumulations.

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1991-06-01
2026-01-19

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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): New Caledonia Basin; New Zealand; petroleum potential; seismic stratigraphy; structure

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