What is Kerguelen Plateau?
[[File:Kerguelen-Plateau-Topography.jpg|thumb|263x263px|In light blue, the ''Kerguelen Plateau'' emerging from the seabed (dark blue)]] The '''Kerguelen Plateau''' is an underwater [[plateau]] of [[volcanic]] origin. It is in the southern [[Indian Ocean]] near [[Australia]]. It is an underwater micro[[continent]]: it is a million square kilometres in size, about three times the surface area of [[Japan]]. The plateau was formed by the [[hotspot (geology)|hot-spot]] of Kerguelen. This began after the rupture of [[Gondwana]] about 130 million years ago. The plateau emerges on the oceanic surface forming the [[Kerguelen Islands]] (a [[France|French]] territory) and [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands]] (an [[Australia]]n territory). Vulcanism is still seen on-and-off. {{-}} {{geo-stub}} [[Category:Indian Ocean]] [[Category:Geological formations]]