Geological evidence bearing on the Miocene to Recent structural evolution of the New Hebrides arc

Abstract

The New Hebrides archipelago is a complex reversed-arc system that can be divided into four major volcanic provinces. The Western Belt is an Early to Middle Miocene extinct volcanic arc that, as a result of polarity reversal, is now incorporated into the frontal arc of the present-day configuration. The Eastern Belt initially received detritus in the early Middle Miocene from a tholeiitic arc complex but in the Mio-Pliocene became the locus of a more calc-alkaline arc volcanism. Volcanic activity then ceased in the Eastern Belt but is well-represented as a third and largely submerged Marginal Province through the Pliocene into the Early Pleistocene. The present volcanic line, the Central Chain, is essentially a continuation of the Marginal Province volcanism into Recent times. Initial tectonic events in the New Hebrides arc were associated with the regional disruption in the Middle Miocene of an east-facing system, with consequent termination of Western Belt arc volcanism. The Western Belt remained as a landmass during the lowermost Late Miocene but subsided following a Late Miocene renewal of island arc volcanism to the east. This latest phase was coeval with initial expansion of the North Fiji Basin and marked the advent of the New Hebrides as a westwards-migrating reversed-arc system. During arc migration there were apparent hiatuses in island arc volcanism, the most notable being a Middle Pliocene to Late Pleistocene period of quiescence in the central sector. Tectonism in the Early Pleistocene-Recent raised the fore-arc, brought about rifting and extension to the rear and concentrated volcanism along the presently-active Central Chain.