Banda Arc

The Banda Arc is composed of volcanic inner arc, outer arc islands and a trough parallel to the Australian continental margin which curves in horse-shoe shape around the Banda Sea. Being the source of the latest plate tectonics discoveries and having high hydrocarbon potential, it is the focus of active scientific debate.

SRTM & Global Bathymetry
Digital Elevation Model of the Banda Arc

Banda Arc Provenance Studies

This project will investigate provenance of Mesozoic sandstones on Seram, Timor, Sumba and other Banda arc islands, using heavy mineral analysis, detrital zircon U-Pb dating and Hf-isotope analyses. New data will give new insights into the ages, origin, timing of separation and pathways of basement blocks beneath this area.

Examples of detrital heavy minerals in the plane polarised light

Back-scattered electron microphotographs of detrital heavy minerals

Completed projects:

Provenance of Banda Arc sandstones: tectonic models and Mesozoic palaeogeography

Recent Papers –

Max Webb et al., 2020. Isotopic mapping reveals the location of crustal fragments along a long-lived convergent plate boundary. Lithos.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2020.105687

Max Webb et al., 2020. The history of Cenozoic magmatism and collision in NW New Guinea – New insights into the tectonic evolution of the northernmost margin of the Australian Plate. Gondwana Research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2019.12.010

Amy Gough et al., 2020. Mid-Cenozoic fluvio-deltaic to marine environments of the Salin Sub-basin, Central Myanmar. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2019.104143

Recent News –

Amy Gough and Max Webb attended the Restech 2.0 Virtual Reservoir Conference. Amy Gough presented new SEARG research on the pitfalls of light mineral studies for sedimentary provenance in tropical climates.

Amy Gough was awarded an honorary research fellowship of the British Geological Survey and continues to foster collaborative relationships between SEARG and the BGS.