Lord Howe Rise facts for kids
The Lord Howe Rise is a large, underwater plateau in the Pacific Ocean. It stretches from south of New Caledonia to west of New Zealand. This huge area, about 1,500,000 square kilometers, usually sits about 750 to 1,200 meters below the ocean surface. It is part of Zealandia, a much larger continent that is mostly underwater today. Because of this, the Lord Howe Rise is made of continental crust, just like the land we walk on.
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How the Lord Howe Rise Formed
The Lord Howe Rise was created by a process called seafloor spreading. This is the same process that formed the Tasman Sea. About 80 to 60 million years ago, a mid-ocean ridge slowly pulled the Lord Howe Rise away from Eastern Australia. Now, it lies about 800 kilometers off the coast of mainland Australia.
The Lord Howe Rise also has a line of underwater mountains called seamounts. These are known as the Lord Howe Seamount Chain. They formed during the Miocene period when this part of Zealandia moved over a "hotspot" in the Earth's mantle. The last volcano to erupt on the rise was Lord Howe.
Islands, Reefs, and Seamounts
Lord Howe Island and Ball's Pyramid are two famous landmarks that sit on top of a seamount in the central-east part of the rise. This area is called the Lord Howe platform. The Lord Howe Seamount Chain continues north along the rise. These underwater mountains are home to many different kinds of ocean animals. This attracts commercial fishers, but these seamount areas are very small, covering less than 1% of the entire Lord Howe Rise.
Further north, you'll find Elizabeth Reef and Middleton Reef. These are part of the Coral Sea Islands. Along with the reefs around Lord Howe Island, they are the most southern coral reefs on Earth.
Ocean Environment
The Seabed (the ocean floor) on the Lord Howe Rise is mostly made of sandy mud. There are also some areas with volcanic rocks, gravel, and large boulders.
A special type of fish called the Coris bulbifrons lives only on the reefs of the Lord Howe Rise and the West Norfolk Rise.
Natural Resources
Scientists have not yet explored much of the Lord Howe Rise to see if it contains oil and gas reserves.
Images for kids
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The Lord Howe Rise is part of the continent known as Zealandia.
See also
In Spanish: Elevación de Lord Howe para niños
