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MAGMATISM
AND
SUBDUCTION
HINGE MOVEMENTS
SUBDUCTION INITIATION
During subduction the subducting slab has a tendency to fall away rather
than move down a fixed slot, thus inducing hinge retreat
If the hinge advances, or remains relatively stationary, the mantle wedge will not be
replenished, and magmatism may cease despite continued subduction
Hinge
Movements
Hinge
Movements
Boninite Formation
The 50 Ma boninite ‘event’
Boninites essentially high-Mg andesites
Require water, extra high T to melt refractory
mantle at low P
Several hypotheses for magmatism but all
work only in localised areas
Most involve subduction initiation at
transform, and/or ridge subduction
Philippine Sea
Plate origin
after Uyeda and
Ben-Avraham,
1972
Alternative Hypothesis
Subduction begins in region of pre-heated
mantle
Initial heating due to plume initiation
Age about 50 Ma
Manus
plume
CAUSES
AND
SPEED
Speed of Change
The Woodlark Basin illustrates that ocean
basins may be formed and eliminated within
15 Ma
The Molucca Sea region illustrates that arcs
may be formed and lost within <25 Ma, and
leave no trace
The Banda Sea region illustrates dramatically
a sequence of changes including continental
extension, backarc spreading, and arc-
continent collision within < 10 Ma
All essentially subduction-driven processes
Weak Lithosphere?
Postulated explanations for regional tectonic
events (India indentor, strike-slip, plate
motions, backarc extension) do not satisfy,
but it is difficult to find alternative models
SE Asia a globally unusual region of weak
lithosphere and crust
Is the mantle unusually hot, and is this the
consequence of long-term subduction?
Is this region very sensitive to changing
balance of forces at subduction boundaries?
SEDIMENTS
AND
TECTONICS
Sediment Yields
Region is one of exceptionally high sediment
yields
Total SE Asia production may be more
than TWICE Himalayas
Still little known about longer term supply
But Borneo has provided sediment at same
rate as the Himalayas in the last 20-25 Ma
Requires a tectonic explanation for long-term
elevation to provide supply
CLIMATE
AND
TECTONICS
INDONESIAN THROUGHFLOW
Land-Sea Relationships
Distribution of land modifies local climate
Major increases in area of land/shallow seas
45 Ma
25 Ma
In past 2 Ma
Sea level has generally been falling since the
Early Miocene
Elevation of Mountains
Mountain elevation modifies local climate
In Borneo mountains rose quickly to 5 km
(??) at about 20 Ma
In New Guinea elevation began at around
10 Ma, but probably rose to 5 km since 5
Ma
Sulawesi, Banda Arc and Moluccas were
elevated above sea level in most areas
since 5 Ma or less
Oceanographic Changes
Indonesian Throughflow of fundamental
significance
Only major low latitude link between
world’s oceans
Important role in Pacific-Indian thermo-
haline flow and possibly global climate
Closure of Indo-Pacific gateway (IPG) of
great importance
LAND-SEA
and
INDONESIAN
THROUGHFLOW
Major currents in east Indonesia and the west Pacific after Godfrey (1996)
INDOCHINA
South China
Sea
MALAY
PENINSULA SUNDA SHELF
JAVA
Lombok Strait
350m
Indian-Pacific Gateway
fully open
Gateway Changes 1
IPG fully open until at least 25 Ma
Indian-Pacific exchange easier
Indian-South Pacific links through Torres
Straits?
Warm Pool situated off East Africa?
Between 25 and 5 Ma IPG could have been
intermittently fully open to closed
Gateway Changes 2
During periods of low sea level
Currents stronger
Main passage in Makassar Straits
Links between marine sub-areas different
(e.g. no link between SCS and Java Sea)
Path of present Indonesian Throughflow
suggests the route taken by Pacific water
could have been quite convoluted
AN
UNUSUAL
REGION
Merapi, Java
Value of Reconstructions
Help understanding
Provide context
Generate new ideas
Can be tested
Our Knowledge
This huge region, which illustrates so many of
the processes related to subduction and
mountain building…
Probably has been, and is, extremely
important for global atmospheric and
ocean circulation, and hence life on our
planet…
Remains relatively poorly known,
understudied and unfashionable
Has many unusual features which are
overlooked by ‘shoehorning’ them into
models developed elsewhere
An opportunity is waiting
http://www.gl
http://www.gl..rhul.ac.
rhul.ac.uk
uk//seasia/
seasia/
Royal Holloway
University of London