Rodrigues triple junction

The triple junction is named for the island of Rodrigues which lies 1,000 km (620 mi) north-west of it.

The RTJ was first recognized in 1971,[1] then described as a stable R-R-R (ridge-ridge-ridge) triple junction based on coarse ship data.

The SWIR has ultra-slow spreading rates, a rough topography, and great number of large offset fracture zones.

[7] The RTJ was born when the Seychelles microcontinent drifted off the Indian plate at 64 Ma and the Carlsberg Ridge opened.

The stability in migration rate around 41 Ma coincides with the bend in the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain — hinting at a global reorganisation of tectonic plates at this time.

The Rodrigues triple junction viewed from south. Note the "wake" of the eastward propagating triple junction.