Galeru Seamount and Erathipa Fracture Zone   This sonar image shows a 1000 m high seamount on the north flank of the Southeast Indian Ridge.  The sharp bends in the abyssal hills mark the fracture zone scar from the spreading center offset at the Erathipa Transform.  The seamount and the smaller vocanic cones surrounding it were recently formed near the spreading center where new seafloor is being created by the NE-SW divergence of the Australian and Antarctic tectonic plates.  A more detailed explanation of the origin of these features is given in the regional tectonic overview.  A more detailed explanation of the sonar image is given on the Gallery page.  These sonar data were collected in 1994 by the R/V Melville. 

The names of these seamounts are based on Australian Aboriginal mythology and are provisional pending approval.

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12_ErathipaGaleru

12_ErathipaGaleru.jpg