Rifting to spreading in the southern Lau Basin: Variations within the transition zone

► “Rifting to Spreading in the southern Lau Basin: Variations within the transition zone”. ► The results of the study are based on newly obtained geophysical data from the southern Lau Basin. ► The study describes the details of an area of nascent seafloor spreading in a back-arc basin setting. ► The distribution of elevated magnetization is especially focused on. ► Discrete patches of elevated magnetization intensity form a stepping pattern along the propagation axis of the spreading in the basin. ► Integratedly with other geophysical data, namely bathymetry and gravity, the patterns of elevated magnetizations are described as segmented areas of magmatism of an initial spreading stage.