Lord Howe Seamount Chain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lord Howe Seamount Chain |
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 Location in Pacific Ocean
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| Location | |
| Location | Coral and Tasman seas |
| Coordinates | 26°22′36.7″S 159°15′37.9″E / 26.376861°S 159.260528°E |
| Geology | |
| Type | Seamount chain |
The Lord Howe Seamount Chain is a long line of underwater mountains. It runs along the east coast of Australia in the Coral Sea and Tasman Sea. This chain is one of two similar lines of seamounts in the area. The other is called the Tasmantid Chain. Both chains stretch from north to south.
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What's in a Name?
The Lord Howe Seamount Chain has been known by several different names. These include the Lord Howe Seamounts and the Middleton Chain. Sometimes, people also called them the Lord Howe Guyots or Lord Howe Rise Guyots.
Where is it Located?
The Lord Howe Seamount Chain sits on the western side of the Lord Howe Rise. The Lord Howe Rise is a huge, raised area on the seafloor. It's actually a submerged part of Zealandia, which is mostly underwater continent.
The seamount chain is mostly found within the Tasman Basin. This basin is a deep, flat area of the ocean floor. It lies between the Lord Howe Rise and Australia's continental shelf. The chain is on one side of a submerged land piece called Dampier Ridge.
What Does the Chain Include?
This amazing underwater chain stretches a long way. It goes from the Chesterfield Group in the north down to Flinders Seamount in the south.
Along its path, the Lord Howe Seamount Chain includes many interesting features:
- Nova Bank
- Argo Seamount
- Kelso Seamount
- Capel Guyot
- Gifford Guyot
- Middleton Reef
- Elizabeth Reef
- Lord Howe Island
- Ball's Pyramid
How Did it Form?
Both the Lord Howe and Tasmantid seamount chains formed in a special way. They were created as the Indo-Australian Plate moved slowly northward. This movement happened over a "hotspot." A hotspot is a super hot spot deep inside the Earth. It stays in one place while the plate above it moves. As the plate moves, the hotspot melts rock, creating volcanoes that form mountains.
Scientists believe the hotspot that created the Lord Howe chain is now under Flinders Seamount. Interestingly, a third line of old volcanoes on the Australian mainland, like the Glass House Mountains, probably formed the same way.
When Did it Form?
The Lord Howe Seamount Chain started forming a long time ago, during a period called the Miocene. This was millions of years ago! Many of the seamounts in the chain are "guyots." Guyots are flat-topped seamounts. They often have coral growing on their flat tops.
