Rockall part of the deeply eroded Rockall Igneous Centre that was formed as part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, approximately 55 million years ago, when the ancient continent of Laurasia was split apart by plate tectonics. Greenland and Europe separated and the northeast Atlantic Ocean was formed between them, eventually leaving Rockall as an isolated islet. The RV "Celtic Explorer" surveyed the Rockall Bank in 2003. The Irish Light Vessel "Granuaile" (the same name as the steamer on the RIA 1896 botany survey) was chartered by the Geological Survey of Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and
Timor Trough Further west are the Weber Basin and Banda Trench. Oil and natural gas have been found in the Bonaparte Basin south of the trough and the region is geologically active with numerous earthquakes. Timor Trough The Timor Trough is an oceanic trough that is a continuation of the Sunda Trench that marks the boundary between Indo-Australian Plate's continental shelf and the Timor Plate to the north. It is separated from the Java Trench by a sag near Sumba Island at the Scott Plateau and North Australian Basin, and on the other end becomes Tanimbar trough southeast of the Tanimbar Islands