Niuafo'ou Plate
Encyclopedia
The Niuafo'ou Plate is a small tectonic plate located west of the islands of Tonga
. This plate is sandwiched between the Pacific Plate
to the north, the very unstable Tonga Plate
to the east and the Australian Plate to the west. It is primarily surrounded by convergent boundary
s. This plate is riddled with active faults thus making the area extremely earthquake prone.
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. This plate is sandwiched between the Pacific Plate
Pacific Plate
The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At 103 million square kilometres, it is the largest tectonic plate....
to the north, the very unstable Tonga Plate
Tonga Plate
The Tonga Plate is a small southwest Pacific tectonic plate or microplate. It is centered at approximately 19° S. latitude and 173° E. longitude. The plate is an elongated plate oriented NNE - SSW and is a northward continuation of the Kermadec linear zone north of New Zealand...
to the east and the Australian Plate to the west. It is primarily surrounded by convergent boundary
Convergent boundary
In plate tectonics, a convergent boundary, also known as a destructive plate boundary , is an actively deforming region where two tectonic plates or fragments of lithosphere move toward one another and collide...
s. This plate is riddled with active faults thus making the area extremely earthquake prone.