D'Entrecasteaux Islands/ˌdɒntrəˈkæstoʊ/ (French: [dɑ̃tʁəkasto]) are situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The group spans a distance of 160 km (99 mi), has a total land area of approximately 3,100 km2 (1,197 sq mi) and is separated from the Papua New Guinea mainland by the 30 km (19 mi) wide Ward Hunt Strait in the north and the 18 km (11 mi) wide Goschen Strait in the south. D'Entrecasteaux Islands show signs of volcanism.
The inhabitants of D'Entrecasteaux Islands are indigenous subsistencehorticulturalists living in small, traditional settlements. People of this area produced and traded clay pots as well as participated in the Kula exchange of shell valuables, travelling widely to other islands on sea-going sailing canoes. During the more recent past, people harvested copra, trochus and pearl-shells and some timber for cash. Alluvial gold mining was once important and in recent years the area has been subject to mineral exploration.
Description
Topographic map of D'Entrecasteaux Islands. Large islands from Northwest to Southeast: Goodenough, Fergusson and Normanby.
The three principal islands, from northwest to southeast, are Goodenough (Nidula[1]), then across Moresby Strait to Fergusson (Moratau[2]), the largest of the three, and across Dawson Strait to Normanby Island (Duau[2]).
In addition there are numerous small islands and reefs. Sanaroa and Dobu are the most significant of the smaller islands, while Sori or Wild is named for HMS Challenger's artist, John James Wild. The highest peak in the group is the 2,536 metres (8,320 ft) Mount Vineuo on Goodenough Island.
The D'Entrecasteaux Islands are volcanically active, with a number of areas of historic/geologic volcanism and active geothermal fields. Fergusson Island has three volcanic masses over 1,828 m (5,997 ft) high.[3] There are geothermal areas in the south east area of Goodenough Island[4] and the Bwabwadana and Iamalele[5] on Fergusson Island. A particularly active hot springs is located at Deidei on Fergusson.[citation needed]
Between Fergusson and Normanby Islands the Dawson Straits Group has several volcanic centres that may define a partly submerged caldera; one of the cones on southwestern Fergusson Island may have erupted in 1350.[6] Geologically the islands are largely made up of rock that probably once belonged to the northern edge of the Australian plate that was thrust deep into the Earth's crust by plate collision.[citation needed]
The burial of these rocks to great depths (where they also encountered correspondingly high temperatures) metamorphosed the rocks to eclogite facies: >2GPa and >700˚C. Specifically, these islands play host to the youngest known coesite-eclogite sample; CA-TIMS dating of zircons within this sample dates its formation to ~5Ma,[7] meaning it has been exhumed from a depth of ~100 km[8] at the remarkable rate of ~20mm/yr.
The rock at the centre of the tall domes in these islands was thus recently very deep in the Earth. Over a very short time, geologically speaking, these packets of rocks have ascended through the Earth's shallow mantle and pushed through the crust to form the gneiss domes we find today – the vestiges of the crust these massifs have thrust through are still draped as carapaces over the edges of the domes.[citation needed]
These islands are thought to be geophysically significant because they lie immediately ahead of the west-most rift tip of the Woodlark spreading centre, which has been propagating westwards into the continent. The D'Entrecasteaux thus represent a stage of continental breakup just preceding fully-fledged volcanic spreading.[citation needed]
In 1891, the Methodist Church of Australia established a mission station on Dobu Island. There, natives were recruited to work in gold mines and on copra plantations. Another mission was established in 1898 at Bwaidoga, Mud Bay, on the south coast of Goodenough Island.[9]
The island group became a focus of activity in World War II when Imperial Japanese troops were marooned on Goodenough Island briefly in 1942, before being attacked by the Australian2/12th Battalion. In 1943 RAAF mobile works squadrons constructed an airfield with a 6,000 ft (1,829 m) airstrip and other facilities at Vivigani Airfield on the site of a smaller, pre-war airstrip that existed at that location.[citation needed]
It was used by allied forces from June 1943 to August 1944 as a staging point for operations in New Guinea and nearby occupied islands. Vivigani airstrip has been open to commercial service since 1963. A US Navy PT-Boat base was established on Fergusson Island in June 1942.[citation needed]
References
^Young, Michael. (1984) Magicians of Manumanua: Living Myth in Kalauna, Berkeley: University of California Press.
^ ab"UNEP Islands Website". Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^. Papua New Guinea Orchid News. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^Gordon, S. M.; Little, T. A.; Hacker, B. R.; Bowring, S. A.; Korchinski, M.; Baldwin, S. L.; Kylander-Clark, A. R. C. (2012). "Multi-stage exhumation of young UHP–HP rocks: Timescales of melt crystallization in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, southeastern Papua New Guinea". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 351–352: 237–246. Bibcode:2012E&PSL.351..237G. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.07.014.
^Baldwin, Suzanne L.; Webb, Laura E.; Monteleone, Brian D. (1 September 2008). "Late Miocene coesite-eclogite exhumed in the Woodlark Rift". Geology. 36 (9): 735–738. Bibcode:2008Geo....36..735B. doi:10.1130/G25144A.1. Retrieved 11 September 2017 – via geology.gsapubs.org.
^ abD. Jenness M.A. (Oxon) and Rev. A. Ballantyne. (1920) The Northern D'Entrecasteaux, Oxford University Press.
External links
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April 30, 2023
entrecasteaux, islands, french, tʁəkasto, situated, near, eastern, guinea, solomon, milne, province, papua, guinea, group, spans, distance, total, land, area, approximately, separated, from, papua, guinea, mainland, wide, ward, hunt, strait, north, wide, gosch. D Entrecasteaux Islands ˌ d ɒ n t r e ˈ k ae s t oʊ French dɑ tʁekasto are situated near the eastern tip of New Guinea in the Solomon Sea in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea The group spans a distance of 160 km 99 mi has a total land area of approximately 3 100 km2 1 197 sq mi and is separated from the Papua New Guinea mainland by the 30 km 19 mi wide Ward Hunt Strait in the north and the 18 km 11 mi wide Goschen Strait in the south D Entrecasteaux Islands show signs of volcanism D Entrecasteaux IslandsD Entrecasteaux Islands D Entrecasteaux IslandsGeographyLocationOceaniaCoordinates9 39 S 150 42 E 9 650 S 150 700 E 9 650 150 700Administration Papua New Guinea Contents 1 People 2 Description 3 History 4 References 5 External linksPeople EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed February 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message The inhabitants of D Entrecasteaux Islands are indigenous subsistence horticulturalists living in small traditional settlements People of this area produced and traded clay pots as well as participated in the Kula exchange of shell valuables travelling widely to other islands on sea going sailing canoes During the more recent past people harvested copra trochus and pearl shells and some timber for cash Alluvial gold mining was once important and in recent years the area has been subject to mineral exploration Description Edit Topographic map of D Entrecasteaux Islands Large islands from Northwest to Southeast Goodenough Fergusson and Normanby The three principal islands from northwest to southeast are Goodenough Nidula 1 then across Moresby Strait to Fergusson Moratau 2 the largest of the three and across Dawson Strait to Normanby Island Duau 2 In addition there are numerous small islands and reefs Sanaroa and Dobu are the most significant of the smaller islands while Sori or Wild is named for HMS Challenger s artist John James Wild The highest peak in the group is the 2 536 metres 8 320 ft Mount Vineuo on Goodenough Island The D Entrecasteaux Islands are volcanically active with a number of areas of historic geologic volcanism and active geothermal fields Fergusson Island has three volcanic masses over 1 828 m 5 997 ft high 3 There are geothermal areas in the south east area of Goodenough Island 4 and the Bwabwadana and Iamalele 5 on Fergusson Island A particularly active hot springs is located at Deidei on Fergusson citation needed Between Fergusson and Normanby Islands the Dawson Straits Group has several volcanic centres that may define a partly submerged caldera one of the cones on southwestern Fergusson Island may have erupted in 1350 6 Geologically the islands are largely made up of rock that probably once belonged to the northern edge of the Australian plate that was thrust deep into the Earth s crust by plate collision citation needed The burial of these rocks to great depths where they also encountered correspondingly high temperatures metamorphosed the rocks to eclogite facies gt 2GPa and gt 700 C Specifically these islands play host to the youngest known coesite eclogite sample CA TIMS dating of zircons within this sample dates its formation to 5Ma 7 meaning it has been exhumed from a depth of 100 km 8 at the remarkable rate of 20mm yr The rock at the centre of the tall domes in these islands was thus recently very deep in the Earth Over a very short time geologically speaking these packets of rocks have ascended through the Earth s shallow mantle and pushed through the crust to form the gneiss domes we find today the vestiges of the crust these massifs have thrust through are still draped as carapaces over the edges of the domes citation needed These islands are thought to be geophysically significant because they lie immediately ahead of the west most rift tip of the Woodlark spreading centre which has been propagating westwards into the continent The D Entrecasteaux thus represent a stage of continental breakup just preceding fully fledged volcanic spreading citation needed History EditThe group was named for the French navigator Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni d Entrecasteaux who in his ship the Esperance passed through the area in 1792 while searching for his missing compatriot Jean Francois de Galaup comte de La Perouse Almost a century later in 1874 Captain John Moresby of HMS Basilisk made a running survey of the west coast of the islands and became the first European to make landfall 9 In 1891 the Methodist Church of Australia established a mission station on Dobu Island There natives were recruited to work in gold mines and on copra plantations Another mission was established in 1898 at Bwaidoga Mud Bay on the south coast of Goodenough Island 9 The island group became a focus of activity in World War II when Imperial Japanese troops were marooned on Goodenough Island briefly in 1942 before being attacked by the Australian 2 12th Battalion In 1943 RAAF mobile works squadrons constructed an airfield with a 6 000 ft 1 829 m airstrip and other facilities at Vivigani Airfield on the site of a smaller pre war airstrip that existed at that location citation needed It was used by allied forces from June 1943 to August 1944 as a staging point for operations in New Guinea and nearby occupied islands Vivigani airstrip has been open to commercial service since 1963 A US Navy PT Boat base was established on Fergusson Island in June 1942 citation needed References Edit Young Michael 1984 Magicians of Manumanua Living Myth in Kalauna Berkeley University of California Press a b UNEP Islands Website Retrieved 11 September 2017 Papua New Guinea Orchid News Papua New Guina Orchid News Papua New Guinea Orchid News Archived from the original on 24 July 2011 Retrieved 11 September 2017 Goodenough Global Volcanism Program Smithsonian Institution Iamalele Global Volcanism Program Smithsonian Institution Dawson Strait Group Global Volcanism Program Smithsonian Institution Gordon S M Little T A Hacker B R Bowring S A Korchinski M Baldwin S L Kylander Clark A R C 2012 Multi stage exhumation of young UHP HP rocks Timescales of melt crystallization in the D Entrecasteaux Islands southeastern Papua New Guinea Earth and Planetary Science Letters 351 352 237 246 Bibcode 2012E amp PSL 351 237G doi 10 1016 j epsl 2012 07 014 Baldwin Suzanne L Webb Laura E Monteleone Brian D 1 September 2008 Late Miocene coesite eclogite exhumed in the Woodlark Rift Geology 36 9 735 738 Bibcode 2008Geo 36 735B doi 10 1130 G25144A 1 Retrieved 11 September 2017 via geology gsapubs org a b D Jenness M A Oxon and Rev A Ballantyne 1920 The Northern D Entrecasteaux Oxford University Press External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to D Entrecasteaux Islands Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title D 27Entrecasteaux Islands amp oldid 1151758805, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
