SE Sundaland accretion: palaeomagnetic evidence of large Piio-Pleistocene thin-skin rotations in Buton

J A S O N R. A L I 1, J O H N M I L S O M 2, E D W A R D M. F I N C H 2 & B U N D A N M U B R O T O 3

1 Department of Oceanography, The University, Southampton, UK. 2 Department of Geological Sciences, University College, London, UK. 3 Geological Research and Development Centre, Bandung, Indonesia.
Abstract: The Tukang Besi Platform, an Australian microcontinental fragment, began docking with Sundaland in the Pliocene, impacting on east Buton (SE Sulawesi). Fortuin et al. (1989; Journal of SE Asian Earth Sciences, 4, 107-124) postulated that south Bnton had rotated clockwise through about 60 relative to central/north Buton in response to the Tukang Besi collision. A palaeomagnetic investigation was carried out to test this model. Some 41 (of 72) palaeomagnetic sites from the upper Neogene Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations on Buton yielded interpretable data. Sites from south Buton record locally consistent directions, but at sampling localities < 25 km apart deflections are between 0 and 35 clockwise. There is no trend in these data with respect to the broad geotectonic setting. In central Buton declination offsets are negligible. In north Buton localized (kilometre scale) large (30-60 ) clockwise and counterclockwise declination offsets are observed. Effectively the Buton data provide spot markers on cover sequences that have been locally deformed as 'thin-skin' sheets. The underlying basement may have experienced the large relative motions proposed by Fortuin et al. (1989) but the upper Cenozoic cover has not been deformed in such a simple way. This study demonstrates that thinskin sheets associated with continental collision may undergo 30-60 rotations within very short intervals (< 2-3 Ma).

The Indonesian archipelago has been a zone of active convergence throughout the Tertiary. Since at least the early Miocene, the tectonic development of the area has been dominated by the interactions between the Sundaland margin of Eurasia and the Indo-Australian and Philippine Sea plates. Convergence of these plates on their triple junction in eastern Indonesia has led to obduction, subduction, fragmentation and shuffling of numerous microplates, typically covering 104 to 105 km 2, within an ever-decreasing area. The boundaries between these fragments have probably been generally short-lived (< 5 Ma) and over the next 10-20 Ma many will be incorporated into either Sundaland or Australia. This process is already well advanced in the western Banda Sea where Australian margin fragments such as the Banggai and Sula Islands, Buton and the Tukang Besi Platform have collided with the Sundaland margin represented by the large island of Sulawesi. A quantitative understanding of the development of this margin will provide valuable insights conceming the processes (and rates) involved in terrane accretion at continental margins. In this paper new palaeomagnetic data are presented from upper Neogene rocks on Buton and the results related to the Plio-Pleistocene collision processes in the region.

Buton Buton measures 150 km from north to south and approximately 60 km across at its widest point (Fig. 1). Topographically, it differs markedly from Muna Island to the west and the islands of the Tukang Besi platform to the southeast, being generally mountainous, with peaks in excess of 1000m. Geologically, the island attracted early interest because of the occurrence of deposits of asphalt which are worked commercially at a number of localities. Because of this, the geology of the island is well known, at least by comparison with most of the other islands of eastern Indonesia. Present understanding is based on the published work of Wiryosujono & Hainim (1978), Smith (1983), Fortuin et al. (1989) and Smith & Silver (1991), as well as unpublished work by M. E. M. de Smet (pers. comm. 1992). In addition, a considerable amount of land and marine seismic work has been carded out by oil companies exploring for hydrocarbons in the region (Davidson 1991). Other marine seismic, gravity and magnetic surveys have formed parts of broader scale investigations of the Banda Sea by US oceanographic institutes. There have been onshore gravity surveys on Buton, Muna and one of the Tukang Besi islands and in the extreme southeast of Sulawesi by a joint University 431

From Hall, R. & Blundell, D. (eds), 1996, TectonicEvolution of Southeast Asia,

Geological Society Special Publication No. 106, pp. 431-443.

432

J.R. ALI ET AL.

r-

--

SULAWESI

41, "N
l I,

4o30'

Tanjung Batu

BUTON

5o30'

Traverse

5 O k m

Alluvium Quaternary o~ [ 1 ~ ] post. , . , .: WapolakaFormation (reef limestone) collision [U Pliocenet units pper Miocene~ SampolakosaFormation (chalk and marl) [Middleto Upper~ TondoFormation (fine - coarse clastics) W Miocene ~ Pre-Neogeneformations

/ (,

250km

Fig. 1. Geological map of Buton, SE Sulawesi (based on Smith & Silver 1991) with palaeomagnetic sample sites: 1, Bungi River; 2, Sampolakosa River (no reliable palaeomagnetic data obtained, ND); 3, Kemberu River; 4, Sampolakosa Bridge, (ND); 5, Warumbia River, Lapodi; 6, Wabiau River; 7, Wakalumbe River, (ND); 8, Waulala River; 9, Kawau River; 10, Longito River; 11, Loangkumbe River; 12, Siloi River; 13, Walue River.

SE SUNDALAND ACCRETION of London/Geological Research and Development Centre team (Milsom 1992) and these link to earlier work by members of UC Santa Cruz in SE Sulawesi (Silver et al. 1983). The style and setting of sedimentation on Buton has been described within a framework of rift-drift followed by collision and amalgamation (e.g. Fortuin et al. 1989). The pre-Neogene section records sedimentation on a micro-continental fragment which was rifted away from northern Australia in the Mesozoic. The block drifted ahead of the Australian continent and encountered the SE Sulawesi subduction zone in the early Miocene, undergoing deformation as the zone 'choked' and subduction ceased (Fig. 2). Convergence continued between Sundaland and other Australian fragments in the Banda Sea, accommodated by subduction east of Buton until the mid-Pliocene, when the Tukang Besi platform entered the trench off southern Buton, giving rise to a second deformational event (Fig. 2). Fortuin et al. (1989) suggested that continued convergence following this second event could explain the elevated Quaternary reefs in southern Buton, the pattern of

433

major faults, folds and thrusts across the island, and the 50-60change in regional strike between its northern and southern halves. Clockwise rotation of the south with respect to the north would inevitably lead to extension seaward of central Buton, and an extensional basin does exist in approximately the expected position. The pattern of Bouguer gravity contours, which 'wrap around' southern Buton and Muna, is also persuasive evidence for differential rotation. In addition to the sedimentary rocks, outcrops of a dismembered ophiolite are scattered through western Buton, their presence being generally attributed to the first of the two collisions (e.g. Fortuin et al. 1989). Gravity surveys have failed, however, to locate any major anomalies associated with these rocks, or any sign of a high density root zone (Milsom 1992). A gravity map of the Buton-Tukang Besi region is shown in Fig. 3. These observations are evidence in favour of the interpretation of the structure and deformation of Buton in terms of a thin-skinned thrust model; such a model has also been proposed on purely geological grounds (H. Manur, pers. comm. 1993).

IwNwt
Sea Level
~ ~

EOCENE - OLIGOCENE
.......... :......................

++ + + + + ~ l ~ t ~ t ~ ~ ~ . --~,..~----,x.~..~...'.~E~~ -~~ + + + + + + ~~1~ ~ ~~ ' '~ ~~ / - - - - ~ +~ / BUTONMICRO- CONTINENT MUNA/ SE .ff'~'// SULAWESI - / CONTINENTALCRUST
BUTON KAPANTOREH STRAITS OPHIOLITE BASIN .. ~ BULU BASIN MIOCENE

~ _ . . ~ _ _ _ _ / ~ ~ UPLIFTED ~ M U N A / S E SULA WESI CONTINENTAL CRUST

"

T U K A N G BESI MICRO - C O N T I N E N T

FOLD & T H R U S T BELT

--

,,

PLIOCENE / PLEISTOCENE

ACCRETED B UTON MICRO - C O N T I N E N T

ACTIVE FOLD & THRUST BELT

Fig. 2. Cartoons to illustrate the mid to late Cenozoic development of the SE Sulawesi region, based on Fortuin et al. (1989) and Davidson (1991).

434

J.R. ALI ET AL.

Formations sampled for palaeomagnetism

The aim of the project was to use palaeomagnetism to quantify the proposed differential rotation between north and south Buton (Fortuin et al. 1989). As the collision of Tukang Besi Platform with Buton is believed to have started in the mid-Pliocene, sampling was confined to two upper Neogene formations exposed across much of Buton (the stratigraphy of Buton is summarized in Fig. 1). Older formations were not sampled as they were considered to have complex pre-Miocene motion histories: isolating their record of Plio-Pleistocene deformation would be difficult, if not impossible. The upper Miocene Tondo Formation comprises terrigenous clastic rocks ranging from breccias to mudstones. The sediments were eroded following the uplift associated with the Buton-Sundaland collision. By Mio-Pliocene times the region had stabilized, and pelagic limestones and marls of the Sampolakosa Formation were being deposited. The Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations are unconformably overlain by Quaternary reef deposits of the Wapulaka Formation (Sikumbang & Sanyoto 1981). Reefal limestones are usually very weakly magnetized, and because of this the Wapulaka Formation was not sampled for this palaeomagnetic study. In addition to the palaeomagnetic studies, nannofossils were examined from 32 of the palaeomagnetic sites, thus providing information on the maximum age of the magnetic remanence. The nannofossils have been assigned to the Martini (1971) zones which in turn have been linked to the geomagnetic timescale of Cande & Kent (1992) using the magnetochron-biozone correlations of Berggren et al. (1985). Unfortunately some of the assemblages from this study lack the nominate taxon for the Martini scheme, however the total recorded assemblages are sufficient to enable assignment to a particular zone(s).

5"S

123E

124E

Fig. 3. Bouguer anomalies, Buton, Muna and the Tukang Besi Platform. Reduction density = 2.67 Mg m-3.

Muna and the Tukang Besi platform

Muna, which lies to the west of Buton, from which it is separated by a narrow seaway, is an uplifted carbonate platform of generally low relief. A narrow limestone ridge which runs close to the eastern coastline is interpreted as a former barrier reef. Uplift in the extreme south has been stronger than in the remainder of the island, although less strong than in the adjacent parts of Buton, where flights of coral terraces are impressive features of the landscape. Basement rocks are exposed only in a tiny area of schist outcrop at Tanjung Batu, on the west coast. The Tukang Besi platform, east of southern Buton, is largely submerged but some moderately large islands rise a few metres above sea-level. These seem to be entirely built up of upper Neogene or Quaternary limestone. Gravity data from Wangi Wangi, the largest of the islands, and from marine surveys (Fig. 3), suggest that the crustal thickness in the area approaches that of a normal continent, supporting the view expressed by Hamilton (1979) that the plateau is another fragment of Australian-related continental crust. Seismic reflection data obtained using relatively low power sources on oceanographic cruises have imaged only very thin sedimentary sections and it seems unlikely that there are thick Neogene sediments analogous to those exposed on Buton anywhere on the plateau. The same seismic data suggest a clear structural break between the plateau and Buton itself, the intervening seaway being considerably deeper than the strait between Buton and Muna.

Palaeomagnetism
Methods

The majority of specimens were obtained using a gasoline-powered rock-drill which was used to cut 2.5 cm diameter mini-cores. The cores were orientated to _+ 2 using a magnetic compassinclinometer. A palaeomagnetic site comprises 6-9 orientated mini-cores spanning 10-30cm of section within a bed. A number of orientated blocks (c. 300 cm 3) were also retrieved. Wherever possible, sites were collected with the aim of utilizing the fold and reversal tests to constrain the age of magnetization. The stability of magnetization of each specimen was assessed after using either stepwise alternating

SE SUNDALAND ACCRETION field (AF) demagnetization or continuous thermal demagnetization to isolate the various components of magnetization held within the rocks. The AF-processed specimens were analysed at Southampton, using either a 'Molspin' spinner magnetometer in tandem with a 'Molspin' demagnetizer, or a '2G Enterprises' cryogenic magnetometer which has an in-line 3-axis demagnetizing unit. Continuous thermal demagnetizations were performed on a number of specimens in the laboratory of M. Fuller at Santa Barbara, using a '2G Enterprises' cryogenic magnetometer with an in-line thermal demagnetizing unit (Dunn & Fuller 1984). In practically all cases the remanence of the Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations was found to be dominated by a single component suggesting a simple magnetization history. Characteristic components of magnetisation were identified from vector end-point plots (Zijderveld 1967), and calculated using a Kirschvink (1980) based software package. Site mean directions (Table 1) have been calculated using the statistics of Fisher (1953). The statistics of McFadden & Reid (1982) have also been used to calculate mean inclinations; in a number of cases the sites are from isolated outcrops and averaging site directions using Fisher (1953) statistics may have been incorrect. It is worth noting, however, that in all cases the difference between the Fisher (1953) and McFadden & Reid (1982) values is less than 0.5 (see Table 1).

435

Isothermal remanent magnetization

Isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) analysis was carried out on representative specimens from sites yielding reliable data to provide information on their principal remanence carriers. The IRM was generated using a 'Molspin' pulse magnetiser (up to 0.86 T) and was measured between steps using a 'Molspin' magnetometer. The shape of the IRM curve (as well as the peak IRM value) was used to evaluate the characteristic remanence carrier(s). The IRM ratio, defined by Ali (1989), is the ratio of the IRM at 0.3 T to the IRM at 0.86T. As a general guide, values above 0.9 indicate that magnetite is the dominant remanence carrier, whereas values below 0.9 indicate that the remanence may be due to other minerals. All of the specimens have IRM ratios greater than 0.95 (Table 1) suggesting that the remanence of the Tondo Formation and the basal Sampolokosa Formation is carried by magnetite.

Formation at five outcrops exposed along the Bungi River, about 5 km ESE of Bungi (Fig. 1; 1). The sites were from beds which dip to the north and west at 10-15 . The formation is dominated by compacted marls in beds typically 30-80 cm thick. Samples from three sites were analysed for nannofossils, but the faunas were too poorly preserved to yield a reliable age; a Mio-Pliocene age is assumed. Specimens from Sites BU1, 3, 4 and 5 have NRM intensities between 0.07 and 1.4 mA m -1 (Table 1). AF demagnetization of these sites indicates that the remanence is carried by a single high-coercivity component. Site BU2.H, from the Tondo-Sampolakosa transition, revealed quite different magnetic behaviour; the remanence being carried by a relatively soft single component of magnetization. Specimens from Sites BU 1, 2 and 5 were the subject of IRM studies (Table 1). All three specimens yielded IRM ratios >0.95 suggesting that the remanence is probably carried by magnetite. The five sites had a mean in situ direction of D = 357.9 , I = -23.5 , a95 = 7.7 , K = 98.4 (Table 1, Fig. 4a), and a tilt corrected direction of D = 2.7 , I = -31.3 a95 = 9.6 , K = 63.8 (Fig. 4b). A normal polarity magnetization is assumed. The remanence data can be interpreted in two ways. Assuming the individual site corrections account for all of the deformation experienced by each site, then the in situ and tilt corrected a95 and K values suggest that the remanence post-dates tilting. However, the present-day geocentric axial dipole inclination for the Bungi River area is -10.7 , which suggests that the remanence predates deformation. The age of magnetization of the Sampolakosa Formation in the Bungi River is considered ambiguous. The declination data, whether interpreted as either pre- or post-folding, indicate negligible rotation.

Kemberu River, Masiri

Numerous outcrops of the Tondo Formation were exposed in the dry bed of the Kemberu River, near Masiri (Fig. 1; 3). The formation is dominated by massively bedded conglomerates and immature sandstones; lithologies not particularly suited for palaeomagnetic investigations. The beds are folded about axes aligned NNE-SSW. Dips are typically 20-40 , although values of 60-70 were locally recorded. Eight drill and two hand sites were sampled from 10-20 cm thick mudstones and siltstones. Three sites yielded data with a mean in situ direction of D = 355.6, I = -14.2 , a95 = 18.4 , K = 4 5 . 8 , and a tilt corrected direction of D = 3 5 9 . 6 , I = - 1 4 . 8 a95=15.3 , K = 6 5 . 4 (Table 1, Fig. 4c/d). This direction is interpreted as a primary normal polarity magnetization with negligible net rotation.

Palaeomagnetic results: south Buton

Bungi River, Bungi
Four drill sites and one hand specimen were sampled from the lower part of the Sampolakosa

Table 1. Summary of palaeomagnetic data at sites named on Fig. 1 with latitude and longitudes of each
tao

c7~

TRAVERSE ? c. 5 ? c. 5 6 4 7 6 6 5 4 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 2.7 NA 10-50 22-53 0.4-1.6 1.5 342.0 3.0 355.6 NA 359.6 NA -14.8 -14.7 -16.3 -16.4 -9.6 -14.2 -14.1 200/08 W 160/24 W 190/18 W 3.9 348.6 6.3 -18.7 -14.1 -11.3 12.9 9.3 14.1 18.4 9.7 15.3 9.3 -31.3 -31.7 6 5 5 3 3 3 3 28.0 68.9 30.6 45.8 216.1 65.4 235.2 N N N 0.99 0.99 0.07-0.3 c. 2.0 0.5-1.0 0.14-0.25 0.8-1.4 358.8 357.1 4.3 354.1 356.3 357.9 NA -34.3 -14.7 -26.2 -23.0 -19.4 -23.5 -23.8 290/10 N 237/18 NW 210/18 NW 165/14 W 216/18 NW 355.7 0.8 13.9 359.5 3.0 -43.5 -29.5 -32.7 -20.1 -30.1 7.4 6.2 5.3 9.5 5.1 7.7 9.2 9.6 10.4 108.1 219.4 128.9 51.1 172.2 98.4 60.2 63.8 46.8 N N N N N 0.99 0.96 0.95

Exp

SITE

Fm

Nanno.

age (Ma) Np

Nc

NRM (mA m -1) a95 K Pol 28.9 348.1 57.2

in situ DEC INC

Strike & dip

tilt corr. DEC INC

IRM ratio

peak IRM

BUNGI (5.42S/122.70E)

a b c d e

BU1 S BU2.H T-S BU3 S BU4 S BU5 S IS (F) IS (M&R) tilt (F) tilt (M&R) ? 9.5-5.3 6 ? 9.5-5.3 6 reworked 5

indet. indet.

KEMBERU (5.67S/122.67E)

a b c

BUll T BU12 T BUI3 T IS (F) IS (M&R) tilt (F) tilt (M&R) ? c. 5 ? c. 5

indet. indet. NPI7-21

21393 17067

WARUMBIA (5.47S/122.83E)

a b c d

BU21.H BU24 BU27.H BU29 IS (F) IS (M&R) tilt (F) tilt (M&R) 9.5-8.2

T T T S

indet.

0.96 0.98

1521 8115

indet.

1 6 1 6

1 6 1 6 4 4 4 4

29,45 2.0--4.0 91.78 30-100

58.4 78,4 21.6 16.0 41.7 NA

-27.7 -56.2 -34.8 -45.1 -43.6 -42.7

062/35 S 090/27 S 080/18 S 120/12 SW

42.6 48.8 17.1 18.2

-20.4 -43.6 -19.1 -33.4

N N N N

31.0 NA

-29.8 -30.1

NA 9.0 NA 6.4 28.7 20.0 21.0 18.6

NA 56.9 NA 110.7 11.1 21.0 19.9 24.4

WABIAU (5.35S/123.03E)

NNI0

1.00

377.6

NNll-15 NNll-15 9.5-8.2

8.2-3.6 8.2-3.6

0.99

2247

a a b c d d e e e f f 9.5-5.3

BU30 BU31 BU32 BU33 BU34 BU35 BU36 BU37 BU38 BU39 BU40 IS (F) IS (M&R)

T T T T T T T T T S S

NN10

NN10-11

6 6 6 5 6 5 6 6 6 4 6

6 5 5 5 6 5 5 6 6 4 6 11 11

1.5-5.0 5-10 0.2--0.5 0.1-0.25 3-6 2.5-4.8 1.3-7.0 5-12 c. 2.4 c. 0.3 0.1-0.3

8.4 0.7 7.7 345.5 345.2 346.5 355.7 358.1 6.0 357.3 353.8 356.8 NA

-4.6 -15.7 -10.8 -18.7 -10.7 -11.6 -13.6 -8.6 -5.6 -17.1 -13.0 -11.9 -11.8

075/15 SE 075/15 SE 060/12 SE 120/14 SW 065/21 SE 060/16 SE 210/10 NW 210/10 NW 200/15 W 140/08 SW 130/08 SW

8.6 0.1 6.9 347.8 345.2 346.2 358.2 359.8 7.9 355.0 351.4

9.2 -1.2 -1.2 -8.5 10.0 3.8 -19.1 -13.8 -9.0 -21.8 -18.4

6.2 5.9 6.0 12.4 7.1 6.4 17.7 8.1 8.1 11.5 6.8 5.4 3.0

116.6 167.2 165.7 38.8 90.1 142.2 19.7 68.7 69.5 64.9 99.5 72.9 165.3

N N N N N N N N N N N

0.99

47.1

tilt (F) tilt (M&R) 11 11 1 1 2.93 214.9 -4.0 235/25 NW 215.1 4.7 NA NA R 357.0 NA -6.4 ~6.6 8.1 7.6 32.8 25.8

WAULALA (5.23S/122.95E)

BU46.H

KAWAU (4.95S/122.97E) ? 9.5-5.3 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 355.1 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.2 0.1-0.3 1.7 ? 8.2-3.6 -9.8 176.1 348.9 14.7 359.8 19.2 -12.7 -14.4 -15.7 150/12 SW 170/34 W 030/31 SE 179.3 356.3 9.6 13.6 -11.1 -4.7 26.5 22.0 27.8 20.4 12.7 -7.4 0.2-0.35 0.16-0.5 0.4-0.9 0.9-3.6 0.5-1.3 1.5-2.5 0.4-0.9 083/15 S 070/12 S 080/16 SE 037/37SE 130/10 SW 110/12 S 085/20 S 354.7 352.5 188.0 350.8 6.5 160.0 354.3 -8.5 -7.2 18.3 9.9 -14.2 12.1 -0.4

1.00

1268

a a a a a a a 4 4 5 6 5 6 6 7 7 3 4 3 22.6 18.3 20.7 37.3 95.2 R N N M M 354.8 353.1 190.5 352.4 4.6 157.6 354.3 355.0 -23.9 -18.9 33.4 -16.9 -22.5 21.1 19.6 -17.3 6.9 17.3 8.7 4.2 10.1 4.6 7.6 14.6 10.0 178.4 29.0 79.0 259.5 57.8 213.2 77.9 17.8 37.2 N N R N N R N M M

BU49 BU50 BU51 BU52 BU53 BU54 BU55 IS (F) tilt (F) 8.2-3.6 4 4 3

T T T T T T T

indet.

0.99

154.1

LONGITO (4.97S/122.92E)

NNll-15

a a a

BU56 BU58 BU59 IS (F) tilt (F)

T T T

0.99

106.7

LOANGKUMBE (4.70S/123.08E)

1.00 1.00

9481 17415

a a b c c c d 8.2-3.6 6 6 6 5 1 1 7 6 4 6 3 1 1 5 7 7 4 6 6-17 7.0 13-46 355.1 0.9 -33.7 280/18 N 350/80 E 4-12 0.1-0.35 10-17 c. 7 37.68 54.23 8-59 147.1 334.1 226.9 352.4 39.5 32.3 193.6 NA 14.9 -10.9 13.9 -38.4 -31.0 -15.9 -4.3 18.1 140/32 140/28 145/32 125/22 126/26 126/26 140/30 SW SW SW SW SW SW SW

BU62 BU63 BU66 BU68 BU69H.a BU69H.c BU70 IS (M&R) tilt (M&R) ? 9.5-5.3 ? 9.5-5.3 6 5

T T T T T T T

indet.

NNll-15

153.9 337.5 226.7 0.4 39.0 32.3 188.0 NA 354.5 317.6

8.9 3.1 -17.8 -21.1 -5.0 4.1 -27.8 9.0 -16.5 -19.6

8.3 17.5 8.4 23.1 NA NA 10.3 13.0 12.9 18.1 12.7

66.5 28.8 65.3 29.4 NA NA 56.0 17.1 17.2 26.6 28.6

R N R R N N R M M N N

1.00

17756

SILOI (4.72S/123.00E)

BU71

indet.

1.00 0.99

56538 12216

WALUE (4.53S/122.92E)

BU72

indet.

Abbreviations after site number are: F = Fisher (1953) statistics used to calculate mean direction; M & R = McFadden & Reid (1982) statistics used to calculate mean inclination. Other abbreviations are Fm = Formation, T = Tondo, S = Sampolakosa; Nanno. = nannofossil zones; Np = Specimens processed; Nc = Specimens used to calculate the site direction; NRM = initial intensity; in situ = site mean direction before application o f tectonic correction: DEC = declination in degrees; 1NC = inclination in degrees; NA = not applicable; Strike & Dip = bedding orientation; tilt corr. = site mean direction after tectonic correction; a95 = circle of 95% confidence about the site mean; K = precision parameter; Pol = polarity: N, normal, R, reversed; M = statistics calculated by inverting reverse polarity directions;IRM ratio = IRM at 0.3 T/IRM at 0.86 T; peak IRM expressed in m A m 2.

4~

438 N N N

J.R. ALI E T A L . N N N

d ............... i......................... t ..............

E ~

!Bu:4 ........e t
N

:
g E h

i
N

- j j

t~uov.l-la [

i BU68

........................i.......................................... i...................
BU66 ~BU70 :: i I BU62[ @ ~ BU66 i i @ ~ BU62

Fig. 4. Site mean data from (a, b) Sampolakosa Fm, Bungi River (a = in situ, IS, b = tilt corrected, TC); (c, d) Tondo Formation, Kemberu River (c = IS, d = TC); (e, f) Tondo Fm and basal Sampolakosa Fm, Warumbia River (e = IS, f = TC); (g, h) Tondo Fm and basal Sampolakosa Fm, Wabiau River (g = IS, h = TC); (i, j) Tondo Fm, Kawau River (i = IS, j = TC); (k, !) Tondo Fm, Longito River (k = IS, 1 = TC); (m, n) Tondo Fm, Loangkumbe River (m = IS, n = TC). Open and closed circles represent downward and upward dipping vectors respectively. Site directions based on mini-core samples are shown with their 95% confidence circle. Hand specimens do not have associated confidence circles.

Warumbia River, Lapodi

Three hand specimens and four drill sites were collected from the Warumbia River, about 2 km north o f Lapodi (Fig. 1; 5). Drill site B U 2 9 was collected f r o m a calcilutite at the base o f the S a m p o l a k o s a Formation. The remaining sites were

from mudstones and fine sandstone in the upper part o f the Tondo Formation. Reliable data were obtained from two hand specimens, B U 2 1 . H and B U 2 7 . H , and two drill core sites, B U 2 4 and B U 2 9 . The mean in situ direction is D = 41.7 , I = - 4 3 . 6 , a95 = 28.7 , K = 11.1 (Fig. 4e). F o l l o w i n g the application o f the tilt corrections the mean direction

SE SUNDALAND ACCRETION

439

is D = 3 1 . 0 , I = - 2 9 . 8 a95=21.0, K = 1 9 . 9 (Table 1, Fig. 4f). Although a95 and K improve with the correction for dip, the scatter of the vectors suggests that the local tectonics are more complex than simple S - S W tilting.

Palaeomagnetic results: central Buton

Kawau River, Bubu
The Tondo Formation is exposed over a kilometre of continuous outcrop in the Kawau River, 5 km inland of Baubau (Fig. 1; 9). Seven drill sites were sampled from beds that dip towards the east and south at between 10 and 30 . Sites BU49, 50, 52, 53 and 55 record normal polarity magnetizations; BU51 and 54 record reverse polarity magnetizations (Table 1). The in situ mean direction is D = 355.0 , I = -17.3 , a95 = 14.6 , K = 17.8 (Table 1, Fig. 4i). Application of the tilt corrections produces a direction of D = 355.1 , I = - 7 . 4 , a95 = 10.0 , K = 37.2 (Fig. 4j), which suggests that the remanence pre-dates folding. The presence of both normal and reverse polarity sites in a single outcrop is highly suggestive of a primary magnetization. The mean direction indicates negligible rotation of the site since formation.

Wabiau River, Walumpo

East Buton is close to the supposed Tukang Besi Platform-Buton Block suture. The Wabiau River (Fig. 1; 6) is adjacent to the Tondo Formation type area and contains splendid exposures of both the Tondo Formation and the basal part of the Sampolakosa Formation. The rocks are mildly deformed only with dips generally <15 . Nine Tondo Formation and two Sampolakosa Formation drill sites were sampled at six outcrops. The eleven sites yielded data with a mean in situ direction of D = 356.8 , I = -11.9 , a95 = 5.4 , K = 72.9, and a tilt corrected direction of D = 357.0 , I = - 6 . 4 , a95 = 8.1 , K = 32.8 (Table 1, Fig. 4g/h). Although the in situ directions are slightly more clustered than the tilt corrected vectors, suggesting that the remanence post-dates deformation, the magnetization of the Wabiau River Tondo-Sampolakosa Formation sequence is considered to be primary. Demagnetization isolated essentially single component low-coercivity remanences (also see Table 1 ; IRM data). Field observations suggest that the rocks have undergone nothing more dramatic than burial and slight structural upheaval. It is possible that the assumption of a tilt corrected mean direction based on simply restoring the beds to horizontal is incorrect, and that faults between each of the outcrops may have accommodated local small-scale deformation. The tilt corrected mean direction suggests negligible rotation of the site since the start of the Pliocene.

Longito River, Bubu

The Kamunte River, a tributary of the Longito River, was accessed from the road linking Bubu to Pure (Fig. 1; 10). Five sites were sampled from a 600 m long exposure of the Tondo Formation in the dry river bed. The rocks, mainly mudstones and siltstones in beds 10-30 cm thick, are deformed into an open synform. The Tondo Formation samples are weakly magnetized with initial NRM intensities between 0.06 and 0.20 mA m -1. Reliable data were obtained for three sites. Scatter for specimens from these site is large with values for a95 and K typically 25 and 20 respectively. However, the outcrop contains both normal (BU58 and BU59) and reverse (BU56) polarity sites, which suggests that the remanence is primary. The in situ mean direction is D = 3 5 9 . 8 , I = -15.7 , a95 = 20.4 , K = 37.3 (Table 1, Fig. 4k). Application of tilt corrections produces a mean direction of D = 1.7 , I = -9.8 , a95 = 12.7 , K = 9 5 . 2 (Fig. 41), which suggests that the magnetization pre-dates folding, with no rotation.

Waulala River, Lawele

Superb exposures of the Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations are present in the Waulala and Loko Rivers, about 5 km south of Lawele (Fig. 1; 8). The geology is dominated by a number of major N E - S W trending faults limiting the area to which palaeomagnetic declination data obtained might be applied. Four drill sites and one hand specimen were sampled from the Tondo Formation, together with one drill site from the Sampolakosa Formation. Only site BU46.H, the hand specimen from the Tondo Formation, yielded reliable data with a reverse polarity tilt corrected direction of D = 215.1 , I =4.7 (Table 1), suggesting clockwise rotation in excess of 30 . However, as the site is adjacent to a major fault system, it is suggested that this deflection reflects local deformation.

Palaeomagnetic results: north Buton

Loangkumbe River, Loangkumbe
The Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations are well exposed along the Loangkumbe River (Fig. 1; 11). This is one of the most important areas of Buton for the collection of palaeomagnetic samples, potentially providing the Mio-Pliocene reference direction for the northern part of the island. Unfortunately the stratigraphic interval from which palaeomagnetic sites can be sampled is limited because the Loangkumbe River flows parallel to

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the general strike of rocks in the area. The lower reaches of the fiver expose marls from the lower part of the Sampolakosa Formation but only a single site was sampled; determining accurate dips and strikes in the formation is difficult because obvious signs of bedding have been obliterated by erosion. Eight drill sites and one hand specimen were sampled from the Tondo Formation. Seven Tondo Formation sites, from three outcrops, have yielded data (Table 1, Fig. 4rn/n). Sites BU62 and BU63 from an outcrop c. 200 m upstream of the L o a n g k u m b e - M o u s o Cabang yielded tilt corrected directions of D = 153.9 , I = 8.9 , a95 = 8.3 , K = 66.5, N = 6 and D = 337.5 I = 3.1 a95 = 17.5 , K = 17.5, N = 4. The presence of reverse and normal polarity sites in one outcrop suggests that the remanence is primary. The declinations indicate about 25 counter-clockwise rotation. Five sites, between 3 and 5 km upstream of Sites BU62 and 63, yielded directional data. BU66 has a tilt corrected mean direction of D = 226.7 , I = -17.8 , a95 = 8.4 , K = 65.3, N = 6, indicating about 45 of clockwise rotation. Site BU70, about 600 m upstream, also carries reverse polarity magnetization, with D = 188.0 , I = - 2 7 . 8 , a95 = 10.3 , K = 56.0, N = 5, indicating negligible rotation. Site BU68 is normally magnetized with no declination offset. From the same outcrop, hand samples BU69H.a and BU69H.c record c. 35 of clockwise rotation. Declination data from the Loangkumbe River suggest that rotations for this part of north Buton are significant, but appear to be local (subkilometre scale). Using the statistics of McFadden & Reid (1982) the mean tilt corrected inclination is +9.0 , assuming a normal polarity, suggesting deposition at a latitude c. 4.5N. However, because of the large a95 confidence circle (12.9 ) associated with this inclination, it can only be stated with confidence that this part of Buton was close to the equator during Mio-Pliocene times.

Ogena Formation (lower Jurassic; Davidson 1991). The in situ site mean direction is D = 3 5 5 . 1 , 1 = 0 . 9 , a95 = 18.1 , K = 26.6, N = 4. (Table 1). Application of the tilt correction produces a direction of D = 354.5 , I = -16.5 . The remanence is carried as a normal polarity, but the age of the remanence (depositional/post deformation) is not known.

Walue River, Kobakoba

Exposures of the Tondo Formation in the Walue River are scarce and just one drill site, BU72, was sampled (Fig. 1; 13). The minicores were obtained from adjacent sandstone and siltstone beds which dip 80 to the east. The specimens from both the sandstone and siltstone had similar initial NRM intensities of about 10 mA m -1. The site has an in situ mean direction of D = 7.0 , I = - 3 3 . 7 , a95 = 12.7 , K = 28.6, N = 6 (Table 1) and a tilt corrected direction of D = 317.6 , I = -19.6 . It is assumed that the remanence is primary because the in situ direction is much steeper than the predicted geocentric axial dipole inclination for the Walue River area (-8.9). The steep dip of these rocks, and hence the amount of deformation that site BU72 has undergone, must limit the areal extent for which the declination offset can confidently be used to unravel rotations relative to north. However, the tilt corrected inclination angle can be used to help define the latitude of formation ( 1 0 _ 7.5 S, assuming that the remanence was acquired during a normal polarity geomagnetic field).

Summary of the palaeomagnetic data

Latitudinal information from all of the palaeomagnetic sites yielding interpretable data is summarized in Fig. 5. They suggest negligible (c. 1o N) northward motion of Buton and, by implication, of SE Sulawesi since the late Miocene. The palaeomagnetic declination data from both the upper Miocene Tondo Formation and the Mio-Pliocene Sampolokosa Formation on Buton are summarised in Fig. 6. Sites from south Buton record locally consistent declination offsets, but at sampling localities less than 25 km apart the deflections vary between 0 and 35 clockwise. There appears to be no simple pattern to these data with respect to the regional tectonic setting. The age of magnetization of the Sampolakosa Formation sites from the Bungi River is uncertain. The five sites show marginally tighter in situ (rather than tilt corrected) clustering. However the in situ inclination o f - 2 3 . 8 is too steep to be the result of a recent weathering induced chemical remanence, where an inclination of around -10.7 would be predicted. Regardless of the age of the remanence,

Siloi River, Ronta

The Siloi River, accessed from the road which links Ronta to Maligano, exposes the Tondo Formation (Fig. 1; 12). The geology of the area is complicated by a series of major faults juxtaposing these upper Miocene rocks with a number of pre-Neogene formations. During fieldwork, exposures of the Tondo Formation were seen only in the river bed, seriously hampering the palaeomagnetic sampling. However, a site in the Tondo Formation was sampled 4 km downstream from the road bridge over the Siloi River. The site (BU71) is in a medium-grained sandstone adjacent to a N E - S W striking fault that juxtaposes the formation with the

SE SUNDALAND ACCRETION 10 8MEAN NORTHWARD DRIFT = + O ~

441

Z~4-
2-

'

'

'

'

'

B
I

'

-18

-12 -6 0 6 12 18 Apparent Northward Drift (c)

Fig. 5. Apparent formation latitude shift for the Tondo and Sampolakosa Formation sites, Buton.

the Bungi River area has experienced negligible rotation since the magnetization was acquired. In the Kemberu River, 25 km to the south of Bungi, the Tondo Formation sites also record negligible rotation. In the Warumbia River, 25 km to the east of Bungi, four upper Tondo Formation sites record clockwise rotations of c. 30 . East Buton was the one part of the island where large rotations might have been predicted because it is closest to the Tukang Besi Platform-Buton impact point. However, the large number of sites from the Wabiau River revealed negligible declination offsets. The single reliable Tondo Formation site in the Waulala River has a large declination offset (35 clockwise). Large rotations might be expected here as this site is from a block located in the middle of several NE-SW striking faults. In central Buton, declinations for the Tondo Formation sites in both the Kawau and Longito Rivers indicate negligible rotation. The two sections include both normal and reverse polarity sites suggesting that the remanence is primary. Also in both sections there is a clear clustering of the site vectors following application of the tilt corrections to the in situ data. In north Buton, declination data from the Loangkumbe River suggest local (< km) largescale, clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations. A single site from the Tondo Formation in the Siloi River records negligible rotation, but the age of the magnetization is uncertain. One Tondo Formation site from the Walue River, records a counterclockwise rotation of over 40 . However, the site was sampled from steeply dipping beds, and the declination deflection probably reflects localized deformation.

Discussion
The Buton region contains a record of the relatively recent successive accretion of two microcontinents to the edge of a continent, and a quantitative understanding of the processes involved provides a valuable analogue for older systems where the rock record is less complete. Prior to the present study no palaeomagnetic information was available for the area and the initial aim of the research was to test the model of Fortuin et aL (1989) which proposed large-scale (c. 60 ) Pliocene clockwise rotation of south Buton relative to central and north Buton as a result of the Tukang Besi Platform collision. Although it remains possible that the underlying basement experienced these large relative motions, the study has shown that the upper Cenozoic cover has not been deformed in such a simple way (Fig. 6). In recent publications (e.g. Davidson 1991) the geology of Buton has been interpreted in terms of

Fig. 6. Summary of the palaeomagnetic declination data from the Tondo and Sampolakosa Formations, Buton. The orientations of the arrows illustrate the declination offsets. Note each arrow has an error typically 10-13 (see Table 1).

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J.R. ALI ET AL. palaeomagnetic programme in SE Asia. If just the Waulala and Warumbia sites had been sampled in southern Buton, the Fortuin et al. (1989) rotation hypothesis would probably have been regarded as confirmed, although with rotations somewhat smaller than those originally suggested. If, on the other hand, these sites had not been visited and work had been confined to the Bungi, Kemberu and Wabiau Rivers, it would have been concluded that rotations were absent in southern Buton. Neither conclusion is supported by the full dataset actually obtained.

thin-skinned deformation processes but no insights have been provided into the rotations which the thin sheet overthrusts might have experienced. Strictly speaking, the palaeomagnetic study has no bearing on the question of thin-skin versus thick-skin tectonics but it is perhaps easier to envisage large relative rotations of small blocks taking place in a thin-skin rather than a thick-skin context. Resolving the fine scale detail of the tectonics of Buton is beyond the scope of this or indeed any project, because of the lack of exposure, but it has been demonstrated by the palaeomagnetic results that in a collision setting thin overthrusts may well be rotated by 30-60 within 2-3 Ma. The palaeomagnetic study has also provided support for the two-stage model for collision, which is still controversial; if the Tukang Besi Platform were part of the Buton block prior to its collision with SE Sulawesi in the Miocene, there would be little reason for the large Pliocene to Recent rotations which are actually observed. However, the amount of thin-skinned rotation does not seem to have been a simple function of proximity to the microcontinental suture. Rotations in north Buton, which is further from Tukang Besi, are greater than rotations at sites, such as the Wabiau River, which are closer to it. The difference in deformation style between north and south is also the reverse of expectation. In the south, each individual traverse section, up to 15 km in length, shows a consistent declination deflection, suggesting the presence of coherent sheets at least 15 km across, whereas in the north rotations appear to have occurred on a much more local (c. 1 km) scale. Finally, the results presented here emphasize the importance of comprehensive sampling in any

Conclusions
This palaeomagnetic study of the SE Sulawesi/ Buton/Tukang Besi accretion complex has provided a quantitative insight into the process of crustal deformation at a continent-microcontinent accretion site. In the Buton region, a significant component of the deformation has taken place as thin-skin overthrusts. The palaeomagnetic dataset suggests that the rotation of the thin-skin sheets is complex; there is no obvious relationship between the rotation of a sheet and its proximity to the microcontinent impact point. Rotations of up to 30-60 may be generated. Rotation rates are considerable; the Tukang Besi Platform-Buton collision began in the Pliocene, 2-3 Ma. This study was funded by the University of London Geological Research in SE Asia Consortium. Special thanks are given to Tony Barber, John Davidson, Kate Davis, Michael de Smet, Mike Fuller, Ernie Hailwood, Hendry Manur and Graham Rose for their input to this project. The constructive comments of H. Wensink, A. R. Fortuin and an anonymous referee greatly improved this manuscript.

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