Publications

Tectonic conditions and drainage in West Timor provide an excellent natural laboratory to study the composition and formation of central Timor Basin. As we know, Banda Arc is part of palleotimor island, the collision and subduction between palleotimor and the Australian Plate during Late cretaceous-Eocene formed Timor Island. For that condition, the Mutis complex is product of tectonic evolution (mélange). During the Eocene, Timor experienced subduction with reactivation of the old fault, forming a mélange zone sub-play. This reactivated subduction from Pliocene until recent resulted in a mélange zone called the Bobonaro Complex.Field samples were collected and thin sections prepared for petrography analysis including Pettijohn chart and Dickinson and Suczek (1979) ternary diagram (Q-F-L, Qm-F-Lt, Qm-P-K) in order to interpret the potential provenance for each formation.Samples were collected from two formations, five samples from Bisane Formation (Permian), with rich quartz (45-57%), (9-13%) feldspar and (9-19%) lithic fragment and nine samples from Aitutu Formation (Triassic), rich quartz (31-72%), (9-39%) feldspar and (5-21%) lithic fragment. Most likely potential provenance for each formation is recycled orogen and the influence of regional tectonics.Petrography analysis of Bisane and Aitutu Formation samples show characteristic sandstone type Arenite, pursuant to classification of Pettijohn (1975). Tectonic provenance of the sandstones is from recycled Orogen, meaning, from uplifted foreland fold-thrust belt, and the source rock from acid to moderately igneous rock, and high grade metamorphism, such as, granite, gneiss, granidiorite and diorite originating from Mutis High Complex. This undergraduate thesis and research is sponsored by PT. Niko Asia Ltd.Keyword: Petrology, Source, Provenance