Accretion of the southern Banda arc to the Australian plate margin determined by Global Positioning System measurements

Global Positioning System geodetic measurements at thirteen locations in Indonesia and four in Australia reveal that the Australian continent has accreted the Banda island arc to its margin. Small relative velocities of five sites on west Java, south Kalimantan, Bali, and south Sulawesi define a rigid Sunda shelf that moves relative to northern Australia in a manner consistent with pole locations from NUVEL-1 Australia-Eurasia but at a rate that is about 7% slower. Block-like northward motion of the southern Banda arc toward the Sunda shelf at nearly the same rate as Australia suggests that the Timor trough is now inactive as a thrust. Little of the convergence of Australia with Eurasia is accommodated by strain within the Banda arc structure. Most of the convergence appears to occur as northward translation of the rigid arc with shortening on the Flores and Wetar thrusts and possibly on faults within the back arc basin.

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