Cato Trough

{{Short description|Oceanic trough in the South Pacific Ocean}}

The Cato Trough or Chesterfield Trough is an oceanic trough in the Coral Sea of the South Pacific Ocean. It separates the continental crust of Australia and Zealandia to within {{Convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} and has a depth of {{Convert|3600|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/27/3/article/GSATG321A.1.htm|title=Zealandia: Earth’s Hidden Continent|publisher=Geological Society of America|accessdate=2020-05-08}} The trough is underlain by oceanic crust, having formed as a result of seafloor spreading from about 63 to 50 million years ago.{{cite web|url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/114853/6/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_staffgroupW%24_wu75_Documents_ePrints_114853abstract.pdf|title=Large Igneous Provinces, Continental Break-Up and Marginal Plateaus|publisher=Queensland University of Technology|accessdate=2020-05-08}}