A B C D FE HG JI LK M

A B F HG JI LK M

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

Arctic Circle

Antarctic Circle

Equator

Iselin Seamount

GascoyneTablemount

Hazel HolmeBank

Vityaz Seamount

Hess Tablemount

Makarov Seamount

Challenger Deep11034m

Harris Seamount

OzbournSeamount

Salmon Bank

KammuSeamount

Horizon Deep

Benham Seamount

Valerie Guyot

BollonsTablemount

Campbell Island (to NZ)

Macquarie Island (to Australia)

AucklandIslands(to NZ)

Balleny Islands(to NZ)

Scott Island(to NZ)

Antipodes Islands (to NZ)Bounty Islands (to NZ)

Chatham Islands (to NZ)

Tasmania

FurneauxGroup

KangarooIsland

BallsPyramid

Lord HoweIsland

(to Australia)

Viti LevuTaveuni

Zephyr Reef

Banaba

TimorSumbawa Flores

Bali

Yap

Enderbury Island

KantonB o r n e o

Mindanao

Hainan Dao

Enewetak

BikiniAtoll

Luzon

NeckerIsland

Dait-jima LaysanIsland

Marcus Island(to Japan)

LisianskiIsland

Kure Atoll

Hokkaid

Sakhalin

Attu Island

Unimak Island

Saint LawrenceIsland

H on s

h

Ryuk

yu

Isla

nds

(to Ja

pan)

K ur i l

e I s

l an d

s A l e u t i a n I s

l a n ds

KyshShikoku

Solomon

Bi sm arckArchip elago

Louisiade Archipelago

Great Bar r ier Reef

Southern

Northe

rn

Tungaru

NorthIsland

KermadecIslands(to NZ)

les Loyaut

North N

ew

Hebrides Trench

J a v a

Celebes

S um

at r a

C a r o l i n e I s l a n d s

MarianaIslands

Ka m

c ha t

k a

Santa CruzIslands

Pho e ni x Is l an d s

lesChesterfield

Islands

SouthIsland

Cook Islands

Cook Islands

H a w a i i a n ( to US)

New Guinea

P o

M e la

n

es

ia

M i c r on

es

ia

Scott Shoal

C a m p b e l l

P l a t e a u

EastTasmanPlateau

Ch al le nge rPlateau

RaukumaraPlain

NorthlandPlateau

Horizon Bank

PandoraBank

ManihikiPlateau

Papua Plateau

WeberBasin

ArafuraShelf

Magellan Rise

Bowers Ridge

Music ians Seam

ounts

Ph

i l i pp

i ne

Tr e

nc h

New Britain Trench

Pocklin

gton

Troug

h

Mac

quar

ie R

idge

Tasman Plateau

Tasm

an P

lain

Hiku

rang

i

Lo

ui s

vi l l e

Ri d

g e

West Norfolk Ridge

South Solom on

Chr istmas Ridge

Lau

Bas

in

Lo

rd

Ho

we R

i s e

Lord How

e Seamounts

Ne w

Ca

l ed

on

i a B

as i n

Three K

ings Rise

Norfolk R

idge

Ne w Hebride

s Tre

nch

Ceram Trough

ReedB ank

CelebesB a sin

Palaw

an Tr

ough

Ryuk

yu Tr

ench

Dait Ridg

e

Oki-Dait

M ap m

a k er S e

a m ou n t s

Sh

at s

ki y

Ri s

e

Japa

n Tr

ench

Kur ile B

asin

JapanBasin

Yamato

Ridge

Robbie Ridge

Eaur

ipik

Ris

e

Maccle

sfield

Bank

QueenslandPlateau

Ridge

Trench

Tren

ch

S o u t h e a s t I n d i a n R i d g e

P a c i f i c - A n t a rc t i

c

No r

t hw e

s t P

a ci f i

c

B as i

n

Coral Sea Basin

Ker

mad

ec T

ren

ch

S o ut h

C hi n

a

B as i n

Central Basin Trough

Shikoku B

asi n

Mar ia

na

Tren

ch

K ur i

l e T

r en

c h

A l e u t i a n B a s i n

Ontong

Java Rise

Emperor Trough

S o u t h A u s t r a l i a n

B a s i n

Trough

Ph

i li p

pi n

e

Ba

s in

C h a t h a m R i s e

H a w a i i a n R i d g e

Izu

Tr e

nc

h

Ky u

s hu

- Pa

l au

Rid

ge

Bo n i n Tr e n

ch

Yap Tr

ench

Caroline Ridge

M a r s h al l S

ea

mo

un

t s

M i d - P a c i f i c M o u n t a i n s

Timor

New Guinea Trench

Tasman Fracture Zone

B o u n t y T r o u g h

N ov a

T r ou g h

Vityaz Trench

Tong

a

S o u t h I n d i a n

B a s i n

T a s m a nB a s i n

S outh Fi j i B a sin

S amo aB a sin

N o r t hF i j i

B a s i n

South Makassar

Basin

M e l a n e s i a n

B a s i n

C e n t r a l

P a c i f i c

B a s i n

SuluBasin

EastMar iana

Basin

WestMar i an a

B a sin

A l e u ti a n

C h i no o

k Tr o u

g h

Em

pe

ro

r S

ea

mo

un

ts

Tren

ch

Northern MarianaIslands (to US)

Midway Islands(to US)

Cook Islands(to NZ)

Jarvis Island(to US)

Niue(to NZ)

AmericanSamoa(to US)

Baker & HowlandIslands (to US)

Palmyra Atoll(to US)

Kingman Reef(to US)

Tokelau(to NZ)

Norfolk Island(to Australia)

New Caledonia(to France)

Guam(to US)

Coral SeaIslands

(to Australia)

Johnston Atoll(to US)

Wake Island(to US)

Wallis &Futuna

(to France)

ParacelIslands(disputed)

SpratlyIslands

(disputed)

Flores Sea

Mol

ucca

Sea

Luzon Strait

Gulf ofThailand

Taiw

an

Strai

t

Gulf of Tongking

Norton Sound

Cook Strait

Bass Strait T a s m a n

S e a

R o s s S e a

Gulf ofCarpentaria

Solomon Sea

S o u t hC h i n a

S e a

Sulu Sea

P h i l i p p i n e S e a

S e a o fO k h o t s k

BristolBay

Gulf ofAnadyr

Berin

g Str

ait

Mak

assa

r Str

ait

Arafura Sea

B an d aS e a

Celebes Sea

AndamanSea

Sea ofJapan

(East Sea)

Sou

th C

hin

aSe

a

Yellow S

ea

Timo

r Sea

C o r a l

S e a

BismarckSea

B e r i n gS e a

Australian Bight

P A C I

O C E

Great

IN

DI

AN

O

CE

A

N

Java S e a

S O U T H E R N

Melbourne

Brisbane

PortMoresby

SurabayaJakartaMakassar

KuantanKlang

Kuching

Bintulu

H ChiMinhKmpngSam

Bangkok

Davao

LianyungangQingdao

Shanghai

FuzhouJilong

DalianWnsan

Vladivostok

Magadan

Anadyr

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

Busansaka Nagoya

Tky

Mokpo

GaoxiongGuangzhou

HongKong

Hai Phong

Manila

a Nng

Kota Kinabalu

Lae

Sydney

Hobart

Auckland

Wellington

Dunedin

Amur

Yellow

River

Yang

tze

Mekong

Darli

ng

Murray

VANUATU

TONGAFIJI

NEWZEALAND

I N D O N E S I A

M A L AY S I A

PHILIPPINES

C H I N A

JAPAN

R U S S I A NF E D E R AT I O N

TAIWAN

SOUTHKOREA

NORTHKOREA

PALAU

NAURU

SOLOMONISLANDS

K I R I B A T I

TUVALU

SAMOA

M I C R O N E S I A

MARSHALLISLANDS

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

THAILAND

LAOS

SINGAPORE

BRUNEI

CAMBO

DIA

A U S T R A L I A

EAST TIMOR

VIETNAM

A N T A R

AS

IA

W O R L D O C E A N S

192

American Samoa and SamoaAmerican Samoa and Samoa are part of the island archipelago of Polynesia. The two most populous islands are Tutuila in American Samoa and Upolu in Samoa. Although the economies of both these states remain predominantly resource-based, both are expanding their light manufacturing sectors, and the US administration is the primary employer in American Samoa. Tuna shing is particularly important: 25% of all tuna consumed in the US is processed and canned in Pago Pago.

The Ring of FireThe active plate margins surrounding the Pacic have created numerous land and island volcanoes along its border. The actual basin of the Pacic is made up of a number of separate tectonic plates which move away from each other, colliding with other plates. When they collide, the oceanic plates, being thinner, are forced beneath the thicker continental plates, forming deep ocean trenches and high ridges. These collision zones are known as subduction zones and are characterized by intense seismic and volcanic activity.

Mayon Volcano in the Philippines is one of many active volcanoes on the Pacic Ring of Fire. It is noted for its perfect conical shape; the base of the cone is 80 miles (130 km) in circumference.

The Hawaiian volcanoes lie in the center of a plate, not on a plate margin, and are known as intraplate volcanoes. They are associated with hot spots, whereby a plume of hot molten rock rises to the surface as the plate moves over it.

The Pacic OceanThe Pacic is the worlds largest and deepest ocean. It is

nearly twice the area of the Atlantic and contains almost three times as much water. The ocean is dotted with islands and surrounded by some of the

worlds most populous states; over half the worlds population lives on its shores. The Pacic

is bordered by active plate margins known as the Ring of Fire, causing earthquakes and tsunamis, and creating volcanic islands and subterranean mountain chains. The largest underwater mountains break the surface as island arcs. The sheries of the Pacic are some of the most productive in the world and provide a vital resource for many of the Pacic islands. Since the Second World War there has been a shift in trading patterns, with a considerable growth in trade between the US and the countries of the Pacic Rim.

Many of the buildings in Samoa reect the countrys colonial past. Once a colony of New Zealand, Samoa is now an independent state; American Samoa remains an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Popocatpetl

Mauna Loa

Nevado del Ruiz

Tupungato

Cotopaxi

Mount Rainier

Vulkan KlyuchevskayaSopka

Mayon Volcano

Volcn El Chichonal

Volcn Antofalla

Mount Pinatubo

Mount Sinewit

Pagan

Mount Tarawera

Mount Saint Helens

Mount Katmai

Mount Erebus

Mount Fuji

Ring of Fire

plate boundariesmajor volcanoes

Cape Mattula

CapeTaputapu Steps

Point

OlosegaOfu

Ta

TutuilaAunuu Island

Upolu

SavaiiCape Puava

Cape suisui

Manua Islands

S m o a

MaugaSilisili

1858m

Mauga Fito1113m

Feleolo

Safta

Palauli B

ay

Fagaloa Bay

Ap

olima

Strait

PA

CI

FI C

O C E A N

SAMOA

AMERICANSAMOA

(to US)

Fagamlo

TuasiviPuapua

Slelologa

Falelupo

Flelima

Staua

Salailua Satupaiteau

Tga

LotofagMattu

PoutasiSalani

Luma

PAGOPAGO

Tiavea

PIA

0

0

20 40 Km

40 Miles20

SCALE 1:3,000,000

N PO Q R S T U V W X Y

P Q

1

2

4

6

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

7

8

9

Tropic of Capricorn

Antarctic Circle

Arctic Circle

Tropic of Cancer

Equator

Marie Byrd Seamount

President Thiers Seamount

Comstock Seamount EndeavourSeamount

Patton Seamount Welker Seamount

PrattSeamount

Isla RbinsonCrusoe

Isla AlejandroSelkirk

RapaEaster Island(to Chile)

Sala y Gomez(to Chile)

Isla San Ambrosio Isla

San Flix

PitcairnIsland

les Gambier

Tahiti

MaukeRarotonga

Penrhyn

FlintIsland

Isla Isabela

Kiritimati

Hawaii

VancouverIsland

KodiakIsland

Oahu

l e s A u s t r a l e s

Society Islands

Li n

e I s l a

nd

s

QueenCharlotte

Islands

Guadalupe(to Mexico)

Revillagigedo Islands(to Mexico)

Galpagos Islands(to Ecuador)

Chan

nel Islands

Islas Juan Fernndez(to Chile)

Islas de los Desventurados(to Chile)

MarquesasIslands

Tuamotu Islands

Bora-Bora

I s l a n d s

ly

ne

si

a

G a l l e g o

R i s e

Hawaii

an Tro

ugh

Am

u nd s

e n P l

a i n

C h i l e Ri s e

Selkirk Rise

N az c

a R

i dg e

Galap

agos

Ri se

Grijal

va Rid

ge C ar neg ie

Ridge

Patton Escarpment

De Gerlache

Seamounts

Moonless Mou

ntains

Gilbert Seamounts

Ri d

g e

Per u

- Ch

i le

Tr e

nc h

E

as

t P

ac

if

ic

R

is

e

E

as

t

Pa

ci

fi

c

Ri

se

S o ut h

e as t

Pa

ci

fi

c

Ba

si

n

C e d ro s Tr e n c h

M u r ra y F

r a c tu r e Z

o n e

M e nd o c i n

o F r a c t u r e Z o n e Gor

da

Rid

ges

B el l i

n g sh a u

s e n P l a i n

E l t a n i n F r a c t u r e Z o n e

S o u t h w e s t

P a c i f i c

B a s i n

T u f t s P l a i n

M i d d l e A m e r i c a T r e n c h

C o l n R i d g e C o

c os

Ri d

g e

Peru

-Ch

i l e Tr e n c h

Pe

ru

B

as

in

T i k i

B a s i n

R o g g e v e e nB a s i n

Udintse v Frac ture Zone

A g a ss i z F

r a c tu r e

Z o ne

M e n a r d F r a c t u r e Z o n e

Guafo

Fractur

e Zone Mocha

Fracture

Zone

E a ste r Fra c t ure Zone

Sala y Gomez Ridge

M e nd a

a Fr a c

t u re Z

o ne

C h a l l e n g e r F r a c t u r e Z o n e

Yu p a n q u i B a s i n

C l i pp e r t

o n Fr a c t

u r e Z o n e

Aust ral

Frac tu

re Zon

e Tu a m

o t u Fr a c t u

r e Z o ne

M a rq u e

s a s F r a c t

u r e Z o n e

C l ar i o

n Fr a c

t u re Z o

n e

M o l ok a i F

r a c t ur e Z o n

e

G a la p a

g o s F r

a c tu r e

Z o ne

M o r n i n g t o n

A b y s s a l

P l a i n

C h i l e

B a s i n

G u at e m

a l a

B a si n

B aue rB a sin

Pan am aB a sin

Penrhyn

Basin

CascadiaBasin

T re n

c h

Clipperton Island(to France)

French Polynesia(to France)

Pitcairn Islands(to UK)

Peter I Island(to Norway)

Golfo de California

Drake Passage

G u l f o f

M e x i c o

G u l f o fA l a s k a

A m u n d s e n S e a BellingshausenSea

C a r i b b e a nS e aF I C

A N

O C E A N

Anchorage

Seattle

San Francisco

LongBeach

Buenaventura

TumacoEsmeraldas

Guayaquil

Paita

Callao

Antofagasta

Valparaiso

Talcahuano

Punta Arenas

Panama City

Caldera

Corinto

AcajutlaPuerto San Jos

Puerto Vallarta

Vancouver

Honolulu

Yukon

Rio Grande

Colorado

Columbia

UNITED STATES OFAMERICA(ALASKA) C A N A D A

U N I T E D S TAT E S

O F A M E R I C A

M E X I C O

GUATEMALA

BELIZE

EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA

COSTA RICA

PANAMA

COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

P E R U

HONDURAS

CH

IL

E

KIRIBATI

C T I C A

SO

UT

H

AM

ER

IC

A

NO

RT

H

A

M

ER

IC A

W O R L D O C E A N S : PA C I F I C O C E A N

193

Map key

Coral reefs and atolls are found throughout the warm waters of the south Pacic. Reefs build up from the skeletons of millions of coral polyps tiny sea creatures that cling to the reef and secrete calcium carbonate around their bodies, forming a hard protective skeleton.

The islands of Tonga fall into two belts; those in the east are low, coral islands, while those in the west are high and volcanic. Four of the islands still contain active volcanoes. The mountainous, western islands are covered with verdant tropical vegetation.

The LandscapeAlthough it is still the largest ocean, the basin of the Pacic has been gradually decreasing in size due to the movement of the Indo-Australian Plate. The oldest parts are about 135 million years old. The eastern border of the Pacic is characterized by a continuous mountain chain running the length of the North and South American continents. The eastern basin has a low, uninterrupted relief, at depths averaging 15,000 ft (4570 m). In contrast, the western Pacic is scattered with island arcs and bounded by a series of deep ocean trenches. An almost continuous chain of volcanoes surrounds the ocean and an active mid-ocean ridge runs northeastsouthwest.

Micronesia consists of numerous small, oceanic islands

in the western Pacic. The Micronesian islands are all

oceanic in origin, rising directly up from the ocean oor.

The Tonga Trench lies north of New Zealands North

Island. The trench reaches average depths of 34,448 ft

(10,500 m), which is more than twice the average

depth of the ocean.

The PeruChile Trench is the longest trench in the Pacic,

extending 3660 miles (5900 km), and following the line of the

Andes mountain range down the west coast of South America.

Bora-Boras twin mountain peaks are the remnants of an

ancient volcano, now surrounded by

a large lagoon, fringed with coral.

Wave action has eroded this shoreline in southeastern Australia

leaving isolated pinnacles of rock cut off from the main coastline. They are

known as the Twelve Apostles, however, one

recenty collapsed leaving only nine remaining.

TongaThe Kingdom of Tonga

lies in the southwest Pacic, about 2000 miles (3000 km)

off the east coast of Australia. It comprises 169 islands of which only 36

are permanently inhabited. The majority of the population live on the largest island,

Tongatapu. There are only three sizeable towns and the main commercial center is the

capital Nukualofa. Tongas economy is based mainly on agriculture; coconuts, bananas, and vanilla

are grown as cash crops for export. Although there is some light manufacturing, growing land shortages have

forced increased migration to New Zealand and Australia.

The Mariana Trench marks a subduction zone between the Pacic Plate

and the Philippine Plate. It is the worlds deepest

trench, reaching depths of 36,201 ft (11,034 m).

projection: Mollweide

0 600 800 1000

10000Miles

Km400200

800600400200

Scale 1:61,300,000

AtaAtata

Maniloa

Niu Aunofa

Eua Iki

Mui Hopohoponga

Fukave

HoumaTaloa

Fafo

Kalau

NukuOnevai Motu TapuPoloa

Tau

Eua

Tongatapu

P

AC

I F I C OC E A N

P i h a Pa ss age Fanga Uta

Fuaamotu

Vaina

Kolonga

Haatua

Houma

Houma

Kolovai

Mua

Ohonua

Pea

Tongatapu

NUKUALOFATongatapu

Eua

Uta Vavau

FoaHaanoKao

Late

Lifuka

Niuatoputapu

Nomuka

Tafahi

Taleki TongaTaleki Vavuu

Tofua

FonualeiToku

Tongatapu

Tonumea

Uiha HaapaiGroup

NomukaGroup Otu Tolu Group

Vavau Group

KotuGroup

Tongatapu Group

PA

CI

FI

C

OC

EA

N

T O N G A

Neiafu

Pangai

NUKUALOFA

0

0

20 40 60 80 Km

80 Miles40 6020

SCALE 1:6,000,0000

0

20 40 Km

40 Miles20

SCALE 1:1,000,000

Elevation

Sea DepthPopulation

1000m / 3281ft

500m / 1640ft

250m / 820ft

100m / 328ft

sea level

sea level

200m / 656ft

1000m / 3281ft

2000m / 6562ft

3000m / 9843ft

4000m / 13,124ft

5000m / 16,400ft

6000m / 19,686ft

below 10,000