Chris

I have been fascinated by the peculiar position of Fiji and its subduction zones on the east and west. On the east, the east plate subducts the west, on the west, the west subducts the east. This fault then follow around to be as you described, with the east subducting the west again.

I gather that slab formation keeps quakes localized.

The quakes near the Loyalty Islands continue.

In past months there was apparently a trading of seismic energy from the fault elbow near Samoa to the location under discussion, but it may be that the current quakes are a little north.

Fiji and the islands west of the fault near the Loyaltys are most volcanic. I hope GVN will cover any eruptions in the regionnn.

Donald