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Manus plate
The Manus plate is a 100-km-wide tectonic microplate located northeast of New Guinea. The Manus plate was formed in between the North Bismark Plate and the South Bismark Plate. The Manus plate currently rotates counter-clockwise in the Melanesia area.[1] FormationThe Manus plate formed during the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal, making its maximum age approximately 781,000 years old.[2] The Manus plate formed in-between and on top of the transform boundaries that were separating the North and South Bismark plates.[2] The plate was formed of young mid-ocean ridge basalt, along with pieces of older oceanic floor that had broken off of the South Bismarck plate.[2] Boundaries and MovementThe north and northeast boundaries of the Manus plate, with the North Bismark and Pacific plates are both convergent boundaries.[3] The plates southeast borders of the South Bismark plate is a divergent boundary.[3] The southwest boundary bordering the South Bismark plate is a transform boundary. The Manus plate currently has a rate of rotation of 51°/ Ma at the spot, -3.04°N, 150.46°E, in the counter-clockwise direction, due to the plates left lateral motion.[4] This is likely the fastest plate rotation, on Earth at this time.[4] References
3°02′13″S 150°27′22″E / 3.0370°S 150.4560°E
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