Campbell Plateau

[3] The Campbell Plateau is a roughly triangular, cratonic microcontinent which formed during the break-up of Gondwana around 80 Ma.

Large parts of the plateau are made of Palaeozoic or older granites overlain by much younger shield volcanoes who form the Auckland and Campbell Islands.

The western islands, Auckland, Snares, and Stewart, have a 100–120 Ma-old Middle Cretaceous basement made of granites.

[4] The southern margin of the plateau was located next to the continental shelves of the eastern Ross Sea and Marie Byrd Land.

[2] The islands are important breeding centres for both endemic and circumpolar species, including the royal albatross, crested penguin, and Hooker's sea lion.

Endemic taxa include the spider genus Gohia, the frog species Puhuruhuru patersoni, and nine genera of beetles.

This triple junction was originally located adjacent to the Campbell Plateau but is now isolated south of it due to sea floor spreading.

The main part of the ACC, however, passes around the Macquarie Ridge together with the SAF and then flows north along the eastern margin of the Campbell Plateau.