O-165
The Larangan Complex: A newly found Eocene tectonic melange rock in
Karangsambung area, Central Java, Indonesia
PRASETYADI, C.; SUPARKA, E.R.; HARSOLUMAKSO, A.H.; SAPIIE, B.
Department of Geology – ITB, Jalan Ganesha No.10, Bandung, Indonesia (cprasetyadi@gc.itb.ac.id)
INTRODUCTION
Karangsambung in Central Java has been well known
as the largest outcrop area of Pre-Tertiary rocks that
consist of Cretaceous subduction-related melange
rocks called the Luk Ulo Melange Complex [1, 3, 6].
The occurrence of this Pre-Tertiary rocks along with
the Paleogene (Eocene) provides a comprehensive
information in revealing geological significances
associated with the K-T boundary history along the
southeastern margin of Sundaland. In line with this
premise a 2005 field work has been carried out in the
northern part of Karangsambung area. In addition, the
northern part of the Karangsambung area is poorly
studied compared to the southern part.
RESULTS
A new type of Eocene rocks has been discovered
during the present study. Previous studies have
mapped the northern area of Karangsambung as part
of the Cretaceous Luk Ulo Melange Complex [2, 4].
In this area, especially in theLarangan area, the
present study discovered for the first time not only
Cretaceous Orbitolina-bearing limestone but also
Middle Eocene Asterocyclina-bearing limestone
blocks within the tectonic melange. The occurrence
of Middle Eocene limestone blocks indicates the age
of tectonic melange rock in this area is no longer of
Cretaceous but at least of Late Eocene. Because the
best exposure of this newly found melange is located
in the Larangan village then it is called here as the
“Larangan Complex”. If Luk Ulo melange complex
indicates the presence of Cretaceous-Paleocene
northwestward-plunging subduction zone [3, 5, 6]
then it is expected to the north we should find the
older part of the melange. The presence of Eocene
Larangan melange to the north of the
Cretaceous-Paleocene subduction melange does not
fit with this model and indicates that deformation
phases responsible for both melanges are different.
GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The new field data resulting from the present study
provide the following new constraints on the
evolution of the melange rocks exposed in the
Karangsambung area: (1) The melange complex
covers not only the older Cretaceous-Paleocene Luk
Ulo Complex but also the younger Eocene Larangan
Complex, (2) The presence of Eocene tectonic
melange (Larangan Complex) shows a tectonic
deformation has taken place during Middle to Late
Eocene in Karangsambung area, (3) Prior to the onset
of Oligocene subduction, there might be two
deformation phases, the Cretaceous-Paleocene
subduction-related and Late Eocene post
subduction-related (collisonal?) deformation phases.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We thank Karangsambung Nature and Geological
Laboratory of LIPI, Geology Department of ITB, and
UPN Veteran Jogjakarta, BP Migas and Ditjen Migas
for supporting and sponsoring this study.
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