CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

It is just a plasticine model !

Driving Force is Subduction

Most of SE Asia has been close to the current
position at the equator since the early Mesozoic

Evidence of long-term subduction at south and east
margins from the early Mesozoic onwards

Cenozoic growth of SE Asia associated with
Pacific/Philippine Sea and India/Australia plate
subduction

Despite what you may read in the papers, India was
not the cause of everything

Events at 45 Ma and 25 Ma can be identified from
mainland SE Asia to the SW Pacific

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 1

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

MAGMATISM
AND
SUBDUCTION

HINGE MOVEMENTS
SUBDUCTION INITIATION

Magmatism and Subduction

Ultimately almost all Cenozoic magmatism
subduction-driven

Hinge movement critical

Subduction signature may be inherited from
previous subduction events

Evidence for extension still not fully
appreciated

Some magmatism may not have subduction
character

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 2

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

During subduction the subducting slab has a tendency to fall away rather
than move down a fixed slot, thus inducing hinge retreat

During hinge retreat the mantle wedge will be constantly replenished,

promoting continued magmatism

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 3

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

If the hinge advances, or remains relatively stationary, the mantle wedge will not be
replenished, and magmatism may cease despite continued subduction

Hinge
Movements

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 4

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Hinge
Movements

How is Subduction Initiated?

Almost all new subduction zones initiated at edges of
small ocean basins

Typically at margins of areas of thickened crust

Rarely initiated at former transform faults (Woodlark)

Never (?) within ocean basins (notably ridges)

No obvious indication that early subduction-related
magmatism is chemically unusual

Boninites require special combinations of conditions
(e.g. plume preheating and subduction initiation)

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 5

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 6

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Philippine Sea
Plate origin
after Uyeda and
Ben-Avraham,
1972

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 7

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 8

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Alternative Hypothesis

Subduction begins in region of pre-heated
mantle

Initial heating due to plume initiation

Age about 50 Ma

Manus
plume

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 9

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

MANUS PLUME TRACK 55-45 Ma

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 10

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

West Pacific Boninites

Boninites mark subduction initiation

Plume pre-heats mantle

Regional uplift at time of plume initiation

Chemistry of early magmatism OIB type

Subsequent subduction in region of extra-hot
mantle

Normal subduction chemistry

CAUSES
AND
SPEED

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 11

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

Subduction and Extension

Within an overall convergent setting
extension seems to be very common

Causes include slab pull, hinge rollback and
strike-slip movements

However, there are still major problems
finding explanations for timing and causes of
basin formation, and some important
orogenic events unrelated to collisions, which
are well illustrated by Sundaland

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 12

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 13

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Most Sediment not from Asia

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 14

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 15

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 16

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

LAND-SEA
and
INDONESIAN
THROUGHFLOW

Major currents in east Indonesia and the west Pacific after Godfrey (1996)

JGR,101 (C5) 12217-12237

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 17

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Modelled currents in east

Indonesia and the west
Pacific after Metzger &
Hurlburt (1996)
showing SL difference of >50
cm between Pacific and
Indian Oceans

JGR,101 (C5) 12331-12353

INDOCHINA

South China
Sea

MALAY
PENINSULA SUNDA SHELF

Karimata Strait Makassar Strait

SUMATRA 29 m BORNEO 550m

JAVA

Lombok Strait
350m

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 18

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

Indian-Pacific Gateway
fully open

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 19

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 20

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 21

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 22

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 23

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 24

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 25

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 26

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

AN
UNUSUAL
REGION

Merapi, Java

Value of Reconstructions

Help understanding

Provide context

Generate new ideas

Can be tested

Show the importance

of SE Asia

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 27

CENOZOIC TECTONICS OF INDONESIA: Problems and Models Robert Hall

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

IPA Short Course 2003 Conclusions 28