Oblique back arc rifting of Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

摘要: ] Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) is a back arc rift inNorth Island, New Zealand. Its geometry andkinematics are investigated using shaded reliefimages, field examination of faults and offset streamchannels. The results show that TVZ trends NNE, 250 km long by Hikurangi margin in the North Island Zealand [20 wide consists fivesegments. Extension principally manifest as steeplydipping (60 –90 ) normal parallel to TVZ;these, last 300 kyr, have experienced acomponent dextral shear. therefore anoblique rift. shear 37% thetotal displacement, which, for previously estimatedspreadingrates 7mm/yr,correspondsto 2.6mm/yr.Thisvalueissimilartopreviousestimatesofthedextralshear from forearc domains theNorthIsland.DistributeddextralshearacrossTVZthussuggests strain partitioning across plateboundary at latitudes less significant thanpreviously thought.