Various sources of rare earth element enrichment at Manamas volcanic rock, Timor Island

Manamas volcanic rock formed due to crustal thinning in fore arc setting. This research aims to provide information and the enrichment process of rare earth elements in Manamas Formation on the Timor Island and their tectonic implication. Manamas volcanic rock exposed in Bihati River, Baun, Timor consists of two different types of basalts, namely alkaline basalt and sub alkaline basalt. Analysis using ICP-MS method shows enrichment in large ion lithophile element and high field strength element. Subalkaline basalt has N-MORB patterns and alkaline basalt have OIB patterns. The Nb element is relatively impoverished that indicates influence of subduction activities. Thorium and uranium elements also show significant enrichment, due to sedimentary rocks contamination or continental crust or directly from the asthenosphere due to magma upwelling. The two distinctive patterns interpreted due to slab tear phenomenon beneath Timor Island during Australia oceanic plate subduction and recycled oceanic crust beneath Banda Arc.

The Spatio-temporal Analysis of b-value in the Banda Arc, Indonesia

Banda arc is a complex tectonic structure manifests by high seismicity due to the collision of a continent and an intra-oceanic island arc. Using the relocated earthquakes data from ISC-EHB and BMKG catalogues from the time period of 1960 to 2018, we have conducted a spatial and temporal variation of b-value using the Guttenberg-Richter formula in the area. Our results show that the spatial distribution of low b-values located in the south of Ambon Island and southeast of Buru Island. On the other hand, the temporal variation of b-value shows a decrease in the northern part of the Banda sea probably high potential to produce large earthquakes in the future. Therefore, further mitigation is needed to minimize the impact of earthquakes in the area.

Pedaro formation, equivalent of Plover sandstone at Savu Island, Outer Banda Arc

Plover Sandstone have been widely known as a good quality of oil and gas reservoir in NW Australia. As the continuity of NW Australia margin, outer Banda Arc become the distribution area of the equivalent of Plover Sandstone units. Therefore, a clear distinction and characterization of equivalent of Plover Sandstones distributed in this area is needed. Thick unit of quartz rich sandstone is scrap out in south Savu Island. Refers to the location where the lithology is found widely distributed, the unit is suggested to be called as Pedaro Formation. The characteristic of the lithology is determined through detailed measured section from two trajectories and laboratory analysis, including fourteen samples of petrography analysis, eight samples of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis, and three samples of X-Ray Difraction (XRD) analysis. The lower part of the unit is initiated by braided fluvial conglomerates which gradually become tidal sand flat association of shale layers, coal seams and sandstone insertion. While the upper part of the unit is consisting of thick bedded quartz sandstone with thin siltstone insertion, deposited in the shoreface environment. Those facies association developed at transgressive conditions in the estuarine environment. The characteristic of the sandstone unit of Pedaro Formation is thickly bedded quartz wacke to quartz arenite, white to light grey in color, moderately to very well sorted, mostly mature sand. Pedaro Formation is identified to be deposited at Early Jurassic in interior craton tectonic setting. The characterization of sandstone unit of Pedaro Formation is showing that the unit can be correlate to the equivalent of Plover Sandstone found in Timor. Sandstone unit of Pedaro Formation can play a role as reservoir candidate in petroleum system of Savu and surrounding area.

Preliminary Results of Double Difference Tomography at Sunda-Banda Arc

The Sunda-Arc transition to the Banda Arc is located on the south of the Flores Island, Indonesia, where the Australian lithosphere is moving to the north direction. On-going subduction process dictates the tectonic setting though some studies also suggest a collision and obduction may occur in the past due to of plate buoyancy. This area has active seismicity with frequent large magnitude events. To better understand the tectonic system in this region, we performed double-difference tomography inversion using regional events. We obtained the data catalog from the Indonesian Agency of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics ranging from 116° to 125° east longitude and -6.5° to 12.5° latitude. We collected 4312 events data, detected from 15 stations from January 2015 to December 2019. Final relocated hypocenters showed a reduced fixed-depth problem and a more clustered event, although some deep events disappear. Most events are related to the subducting Benioff zone with some clustered events in the northern area may be related to back-arc thrust. We also observed clustered events near active volcano region and reduced shallow seismicity region to the west of the Timor Island. Resolution test using the checkerboard and Derivative weigh Sum (DWS) shows that fair P wave resolution can be achieved until 300 km, although a smearing start to show at a deeper depth. However, due to lack of arrival S wave data, the resolution test suggest good resolution can only be seen until a depth of 100 km. Tomogram P and S wave models show a clear dipping subducting slab from south to North down to a 250 km. We also spot a fast velocity band near the Timor Island area that similar to the previous tomography study, interpreted as sliver forearm. We spotted a band of lower Vp, lower Vs and higher Vp/Vs at shallow depth close to the volcanic line and we interpreted this as a zone of higher temperature, that may relate to magmatic activity in this region. We also noticed a zone of low velocity and higher Vp/Vs that may relate with dehydration and partial melting. However, we feel this still uncertain due to low Vs resolution.

Initial Result of P Wave Tomography Model in Sunda-Banda Arc Transition using FMTOMO

Our study area is located near island Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, West Timor, Indonesia and East Timor, popularly known as Sunda-Banda arc transition zone. The tectonic setting is mainly controlled by the movement of the oceanic lithosphere Indo-Australian plate subducting the Eurasian plate and Northward migration of Australian continental lithosphere into western Banda-arc in the region of Flores, Sumba and Timor island. We tried to image velocity structure beneath these regions using regional events and tomography inversion model. We collected 5 years of regional events from the Indonesian Agency of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics. In total, we reserved 3186 events recorded on 29 stations. For data processing, we used fast marching method as ray tracing between sources and receiver. We then employed subspace inversion as the tomography procedure to estimate the best velocity model representing the tectonic model in the region. Hypocenter data distribution is concentrated on shallow parts of the region and along the Benioff zone down to a maximum depth of 400 km. One of challenge of this study is that although events are abundance, the stations used are mostly located onshore and does not extend in the south-north direction that leads us to under determined problem in the inversion process. However, checker-board models show most our target area can be retrieved to its initial model with sign of smearing effects shown start from a depth of 50 km. After six iteration and optimized selection of damping and smoothing parameters, we observed low velocity anomaly under Bali, Lombok, Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara at shallow depth that may be related with volcanic activity. Deeper low anomaly can also be seen that may be related with partial melting process. A band of fast velocity is clearly seen that goes deepen to the north depicting subducting slabs own to a depth of 300 km. We also observed a possible of fast velocity in the northern part of our stations at shallow depth that we believe may represent the back arc thrust.

Early Results of P Wave Regional Tomography Study at Sunda-Banda Arc using BMKG Seismic Network

The plate movement, geological structure, magmatism, and seismic activity in the area of Bali to East Nusa Tenggara are mainly related with the subducting of Indo-Australian Plate underneath the Eurasian plate. The complexity is added with the recent collision of Australian continent lithosphere with the western Banda arc, along the islands of Flores, Sumba and Timor island. Our study area is known as the Sunda-Banda arc transition. With the aim of imaging subsurface structure, we perform seismic tomography inversion using regional events. We collected 5 years of earthquake data (January 2015 – December 2019) from the Indonesian Agency of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG). The output of our data processing is not limited to only P wave velocity model, but also relocated seismicity pattern in the region. In general, seismicity pattern shows dominant shallow events in the south that progressively shift into deeper events in the north down to a few 500 km, marking a dipping subduction zone in this region. A group of shallow events down to a depth of 50 km is also seen at the norther region that may relate to back-arc thrust activity. P wave tomogram model show a lower velocity perturbation at a depth of 30 km that could be associated with magmatic activity along the volcanic front line. Higher P wave perturbation model are spotted at two different zones, the first one is marking a dipping Indo-Australian plate down to depth of 400 km. We noticed that the angle of dipping is steeper in the Eastern part compared to the Western part. The second a relatively flat at shallow depth at the northern region from the island of Lombok to Nusa Tenggara Timur that may mark the back-arc thrust region

Calcareous Nanofossil of Post-Gondwana Sequence in Southern Banda Arc, Indonesia

The presence of calcareous nannofossils in samples of the Post-Gondwana sequences (Kolbano and Viqueque sequence) gives guidance about the relative age of the study area located in the Outer Banda Arc, namely Timor, Rote, and Sawu Island. The study was carried out on six traverses, Timor Island traverse (Baun and Camplong), Rote Island traverse (Termanu and Central Rote), and Sawu Island traverses (West Sawu and East Sawu). There is 29 outcrop sample prepared using the smear slide method and observed using a polarizing microscope with 1000x magnification. The results of the study showed the presence of Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogen-Quarternary calcareous nannofossil. There are 82 species from 14 families identified in the post-Gondwana sequence. The results showed that the assemblage of calcareous nannofossil in Cretaceous characterized by the presence of Watznaueria fasciata, Watznaueria cynthae, Cyclagelosphaera brezae, Orastrum campanensis, and Micula concava. The assemblage of Paleogene calcareous nannofossil characterized by the presence of Coccolithus staurion, Chiasmolithus solitus, Discoaster minimus, Tawelus (?) magnicrassus, Chiasmolithus bidens, Prinsius africanus, Cyclicargolithus luminus, Spenolithus elongatus, Reticulofenestra umbilica, Cruciplacolithus vanheckae, and Helicospharea seminulum, and the assemblage of Neogene calcareous nannofossil characterized by the presence of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilica, Discoaster quinqueramus, Helicosphaera princei, and Discoaster pansus. Quarternary calcareous nannofossil characterized by the presence of Ponthospaera indooceanica.

Karakteristik Geokimia Basal Alkali Formasi Manamas di Sungai Bihati, Baun, Pulau Timor

ABSTRAK Batuan beku Formasi Manamas di Sungai Bihati, Baun merupakan salah satu singkapan batuan beku di Pulau Timor yang belum banyak diteliti berdasarkan karakter geokimia. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui genesa dan proses yang terjadi pada batuan beku Formasi Manamas dalam kerangka tektonik yang terjadi di Pulau Timor berdasarkan analisis petrografi dan geokimia. Analisis geokimia dilakukan dengan menggunakan X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) dan Inductively Coupled Plasma-mass Spectrometery (ICP-MS) untuk mengetahui senyawa utama, unsur jejak, dan unsur tanah jarang. Batuan beku Formasi Manamas berupa intrusi basal dengan afinitas alkali yang menunjukkan pola pengayaan unsur tanah jarang yang identik dengan Ocean Island Basalt (OIB). Penelitian ini membuktikan adanya dua mekanisme pengayaan unsur yang berbeda yaitu fluid related enrichment yang berkaitan dengan aktifitas subduksi lempeng Samudra Hindia di bawah Busur Banda dan melt related enrichment yang diperkirakan berasal dari sisa lempeng Samudra Hindia yang patah yang masuk kedalam zona reservoir OIB. Kedua magma lalu bercampur dan mengalami underplating di bawah Busur Banda. ABSTRACT The igneous rock of Manamas Formation in the Bihati River, Baun is one of the igneous rock outcrops in Timor Island that has not been widely studied based on its geochemical characteristic. This study aims to determine the genesis and processes that occur in the igneous rocks of the Manamas Formation within tectonic framework of Timor Island based on petrographic and geochemical analysis. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-mass Spectrometery (ICP-MS) were used to determine the major elements, trace elements, and rare earth elements. The igneous rock of the Manamas Formation is a basalt intrusion with an alkaline affinity which shown an enrichment pattern of rare earth elements identical to Ocean Island Basalt (OIB). This study proves the existence of two different mechanisms of elemental enrichment, fluid related enrichment which related to the subduction activity of the Indian Ocean plate under the Banda Arc and also melt related enrichment which originated from the broken Indian Ocean plate which enters the OIB reservoir zone. The two different magmas then mix and underplating beneath the Banda Arc.

Timor Collision Front Segmentation Reveals Potential for Great Earthquakes in the Western Outer Banda Arc, Eastern Indonesia

In Eastern Indonesia, the western Outer Banda arc accommodates a part of the oblique Australian margin collision with Eurasia along the Timor Trough. Yet, unlike the Wetar and Alor thrusts of the Inner Banda arc in the north and the adjacent Java subduction zone in the west, both recent and historical seismicity along the Timor Trough are extremely low. This long-term seismic quiescence questions whether the Banda Arc collision front along the Timor Trough is actually fully locked or simply aseismic and raises major concerns on the possible occurrence of large magnitude and tsunamigenic earthquakes in this vulnerable and densely populated region. Here, we jointly analyze multibeam bathymetry and 2D seismic reflection data acquired along the Timor Trough to characterize the location, nature, and geometry of active faults. Discontinuous narrow folds forming a young accretionary prism at the base of the Timor wedge and spatially correlated outcropping normal faults on the bending northwest Australian shelf reveal two concurrent contrasting styles of deformation: underthrusting and frontal accretion. We find that those tectonic regimes and their associated seismic behaviors depend on 1) the thickness of the incoming and underthrusting Cenozoic sedimentary sequence, 2) the vergence of inherited normal faults developed within the continental shelf, and 3) the depth of the décollement beneath the Timor wedge. Based on the along-strike, interchanging distinct deformation style, we identify the mechanical and seismic segmentation along the Banda arc collision front and discuss the implications for earthquake and tsunami hazards along the western Outer Banda arc region.