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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 1984; v. 13; p. 333-340;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.1984.013.01.26
© 1984 Geological Society of London

Regional Studies

An ophiolite suite in Fiji?

H. Colley

Department of Geology & Physical Sciences, Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford OX3 0BP

In SW Viti Levu, Fiji rocks formerly described as part of an island-arc succession are regarded as possibly representing the upper part of an ophiolite suite. Foraminiferal oozes, cherts, red clays, Fe-Mn metalliferous sediments, fine-grained volcanic turbidites, and reworked polymict lapillistones can be equated with Layer 1 of the oceanic lithosphere. Underlying these sediments are pillow basalt sequences and deeper structural levels in the suite may be represented by a tonalite body intruded by a dyke swarm. The chemistry of the igneous rock is ambiguous showing affinities with both arc tholeiites and oceanic tholeiites.

Emplacement of the ophiolite suite against arc rocks has occurred along arcuate thrusts with the ophiolitic rocks, principally Layer-1 sediments, being folded along the leading edge of the thrusted block.

The Oligocene-Lower Miocene age of the ophiolite suite suggests it is an obducted portion of the South Fiji Basin, however, emplacement from this direction requires a complex tectonic model involving up to 180° anticlockwise rotation of Viti Levu. This is supported to some degree by palaeomagnetic data.