The Fiji Plate

In this weeks blog, I will be focusing on the concept of plate tectonics and the distance from Fiji to the Fiji Plate boundary. According to Natural Hazards:Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, written by Edward Keller and Duane DeVecchio, Fiji is approximately 100 miles from the Fiji Plate. However, Fiji is also located near the Indo-Australian and the Pacific Plate boundaries which make for a very complicated plate boundary history. 
Within the Keller and DeVecchio's text, they specify that there are there types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform. Divergent boundaries occur when new crust is created because the plates move away from each other. Convergent boundaries occur when crust is destroyed by two plates move toward each other. Transform boundaries occurs when no new crust is created due to the plates sliding past each other in opposite directions. The Fiji Plate has convergent boundaries, which result in many earthquakes and tsunamis on the island of Fiji. 
Plate Tectonic History of Fiji, Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources , May 2015,      www.mrd.gov.fj/images/Brochures/Plate_Tectonic.pdf. Accessed 2 Feb. 2018.

Comments

  1. Ana GGFebruary 2, 2018 at 8:07 AM

    Very nice research [and map]. Now that you know how close are those plates from the islands, you'll understand better next week where the big quakes happen in your country. Looking forward to that...

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2018 at 11:11 PM

    Hello, Sharon!
    I had no idea! While looking up some extra research I found that, Fiji therefore represent a portion of the old Vityaz Arc which was split up, and rotated clockwise to its present position.. I knew fiji was a goregeous travel destiation but didnt realize its tectonic plates postioning was so complex.. It scary that a place with such activie wild life for both land and sea animals as well as plants can be in direct threat by earthquakes and tsunamis. I look forward to more posts this semester about fiji and its dangers!

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