The New Britain subduction zone is one of the most recently formed and most active subduction zones on earth, producing great earthquakes (magnitude 8.1 or greater), with potential for tsunami hazard, and being associated with active volcanism,[3] as part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

[4] It has a close relationship to an area of subduction tectonic activity that extends south eastward from New Britain to the Vanuatu subduction zone, involving the north eastern portion of the Australian Plate and its complicated collision dynamics with the south-western portion of the Pacific Plate.

[5] The Solomon Sea bottom is predominantly E-type MORB between 28 and 34 million years old and mudrocks.

However a number of minor plates, both active and now inactive (relic) have formed during the change in polarity.

[10] It is possible that the collision to the west of the 30–35 km (19–22 mi) thick Ontong Java Plateau with the Vitiaz Trench from about 25 million years ago initiated this polarity reversal.

The models as developed have been pointed out to be quite inconsistent with the older geology, land fault structures or even the alkaline volcanism of the Tabar, Lihir, Tanga and Feni Islands.