The Lau basin lies east of Fiji and west of the convergent intersection between the Australian and Pacific plate, the Tonga trench. It is a back-arc basin due to it's location behind the volcanic arc that formed through subduction processes. Within the basin lie two intermediate-rate oceanic spreading systems. Scientists are now exploring these spreading systems from a range of perspectives- biological, chemical, hydrothermally, geological, geophyscial- trying to better understand the intricacies of seafloor spreading in conjunction with the subduction zone influences.

For more information on the Lau Basin and the Ridge 2000 program, see the Related Links page.