Southeast Asia: New Views of the Geology of the Malay Archipelago

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Abstract

Southeast (SE) Asia is surrounded by subduction zones causing intense seismicity and volcanic activity. Subduction has been the principal tectonic driver
of collisions that caused the growth of continental SE Asia, and most recently
the collision of Australia with SE Asia. The western part of SE Asia,
Sundaland, is a heterogeneous and weak region, reflecting processes that can
be observed today in the east, where there are subduction zones in different
stages of development. A close relationship between subduction rollback and
extension has caused dramatic elevation of land, exhumation of deep crust,
and spectacular subsidence of basins, observable with remotely acquired images
and seismic and multibeam data obtained from oil exploration. New dating indicates that subsidence and uplift occurred at high rates during short time intervals. Laboratory studies, modeling, and reconstructions provide
valuable insights, but field-based studies continue to present surprises
and new discoveries essential for interpretations of the geological history of
the region.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)331-358
Number of pages28
JournalAnnual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Volume45
Early online date7 Jun 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2017

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