The new insight of tectonic setting in Sunda–Banda transition zone using tomography seismic. Case study: 7.1 M deep earthquake 29 August 2023

Abstract

The Sunda–Banda arc transition zone features the collision of the Indo-Australian oceanic plate and the Australian continent, resulting in intricate geological and geodynamic conditions. Tectonic activity in this region is shaped by the convergence of multiple major plates, including the Indo-Australian oceanic plate and the Eurasian plate. The crustal structure along the Sunda–Banda arc transition zone is complex and influenced by various factors such as subduction, continental collision, and volcanic activity. The tectonic complexity of the region in eastern Indonesia makes it an interesting area for study. In this research, International Seismological Centre-Engdahl-van der Hilst-Buland catalogue data from 1964 to 2020 were used, which include recorded information on 69.705 earthquake events from 1.185 recording stations and consist of 2.943.974 P phases. Resolution testing was performed using various velocity grids, and optimal results were obtained with a medium resolution of ∼100 km × 100 km × 80 km for the inversion process. The tomographic inversion analysis provided valuable insights into subsurface structures within Earth’s crust and mantle up to a depth of approximately 750 km. The occurrence of deep earthquakes in the study area has provided valuable insights into complex dynamics associated with subduction and plate tectonics. The results of the tomographic inversion analysis reveal that earthquakes are concentrated in areas with high-velocity anomalies, indicating intense tectonic activity near the subduction zone. This study offers the perspective on the structural complexities and earthquake origins in the Sunda–Banda arc transition zone following the 2023 Mw 7.1 Bali Sea earthquake, which occurred on August 29, 2023, at 02:55:32 UTC + 7, approximately 163 km northeast of Lombok, Indonesia. This earthquake was caused by slab pull activity from the Australian Plate and involved a combination of downward and oblique-normal movement. These characteristics indicate the convergence and interaction between tectonic plates in the subduction process occurring in the Bali Sea area. As a result, there have been frequent occurrences of various tectonic and volcanic activities including earthquakes of different magnitudes. These results highlight the significance of the high-velocity anomaly connected to this occurrence, offering valuable insights into seismic behaviour and tectonic phenomena in the region. The findings of this study indicate that the deep earthquakes in the Bali Sea may be induced by faulting due to the transformation of metastable olivine into denser spinel at significant depths, along with shear instability caused by phase transitions within Earth’s mantle layers. This theory proposes that stress-induced changes in phase can initiate shear instabilities and subsequently lead to deep earthquakes.

Keywords

• banda arc
• tomography
• isc-ehb data