Tonga Trench

The Tonga Trench is one to 10,882 m deep and 1250 km long deep trough in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean ( Pacific).

Geography

As the northern part of the Kermadec - Tonga trench is the Tonga Trench in the southwest Pacific between Samoa Islands in the North, the South Pacific basin in the east, the Kermadecgraben the south and the Kermadec - Tonga - back with the Tonga Islands in the west. It is located about 13 to 27 ° south latitude, and 163 and 175 ° west longitude.

Geology

The Tonga Trench forms part of the deep seam of Australian plate to the west and the Pacific plate to the east. The Pacific plate moves with a speed of 15 up to 24 cm per year westward beneath the Australian plate, forming a subduction zone.

Sea ​​lows

In the Tonga Trench are among other things these marine lows:

• Witjastief 2 ( 10,882 m), the deepest point in the Tonga Trench
• Horizon Depth ( 10,647 m)