THE WESTERN FIJI TRANSFORM-FAULT AND ITS ROLE IN THE DISMEMBERMENT OFTHE FIJI PLATFORM

The Fiji Transform Fault (FTF) is a sinistral transform fault trending nearly E W from the central North Fiji Basin triple junction at 17-de gree-S, 174-degrees-E to the northern Lau Basin and is characterized b y very high bathymetric relief and dispersed seismicity. SeaMARC 11 an d GLORIA sidescan imagery reveal the structural fabric along the fault trace. From the triple junction to 176-degrees-E, the fault location is uncertain but lies within an area having northeast and southeast tr ending structures. It is believed that a right step in the fault trace has produced a component of compression. From 176-degrees-E to 179-de grees-E, the fault is clearly delineated next to the Fiji Platform and within two left step offsets are short spreading segments. It is hypo thesized that periodic propagation of these short segments into the Fi ji Platform has accompanied changes in the location of the fault and i n so doing has broken off parts of the Fiji Platform.