BOAST, J., J. P. KLEIN, V. K. SUN CHEE FORE, Union Texas (South East Asia) Inc., Jakarta, Indonesia, and M. I. CHAMBERLAIN and T. J. CLAREY, Earth Resources Institute, Swansea, U.K.

ABSTRACT: No Title Listed

The north-northeast-trending Tanimbar Islands are situated in the southeast portion of the nonvolcanic Outer Banda Arc. The development of the islands is generally attributed to compression resulting from the Miocene-Pliocene subduction of the Australian plate beneath the quasi-oceanic Eurasian plate. Although other island groups in the arc have been extensively studied, e.g., Timor and Seram, the Tanimbar Islands have received scant attention.

Sedimentary rocks identified to date in the Tanimbar Islands range in age from Late Paleozoic (Permian) to Holocene, and display contrasting facies. Ophiolite sequences crop out along the inner or arc-facing portion of the island group.

The structural style recognized from both surface mapping and seismic data is dominated by northwest-directed compressional tectonics. Frontal accretion, underplating, and backthrusting appear to be well developed. Important strike-slip zones offset surface anticlines and provide a locus for mud volcanism. Relaxation of older compressional features produces normal faulting.

Integration and interpretation of recently acquired data, including multichannel seismic, potential field data, SAR imagery, surface geological mapping, and AFTA analysis has resulted in a coherent structural model for the Tanimbar Islands. The major tectonostratigraphic units can be identified by combining attributes from these diverse data sets.

The distribution and nature of the tectonostratigraphic units display significant similarities and differences with other Outer Banda Arc Islands. The differences are believed to be a result of the local relative vector orientation of the Australian and overriding Eurasian plate boundary.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91015©1992 AAPG International Conference, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia, August 2-5, 1992 (2009)