Heirtzler fracture zone

The Heirtzler fracture zone is an undersea fracture zone located south of New Zealand, near Antarctica that has been estimated to have been a propagator region of the Pacific–Antarctic Ridge for 5–6 million years.

[2] The presumed seismically and tectonically active portion of this fracture zone is known as the Heirtzler transform fault and divides a portion of the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge where spreading rates increase towards its axial north from 56 to 66 mm (2.2 to 2.6 in)/year over a distance of 650 km (400 mi).

[3] The Heirtzler transform fault portion has areas of gravity highs,[4] and as well as its larger propagating region it has to the southeast a smaller Pacific-Antarctic Ridge propagator that may have started about one million years ago with both associated with clockwise changes in spreading direction.

[2] The feature was named for James R. Heirtzler, a geophysicist who was a pioneer in geomagnetics studies.

[5] This article incorporates public domain material from "Heirtzler fracture zone".