An Integrated Study of Age and Formation of the Aru Trough, Eastern Banda Arc, Indonesia: Implications for Seismic Hazards

Abstract

The Banda Arc in eastern Indonesia has a complex tectonic history involving oceanic and continental subduction, arc‐continent collision and slab rollback. Among these the subduction rollback that began at 16 Ma shaped the regional tectonic configuration, causing notable upper plate extension evidenced by the Banda Sea and Weber Deep. However, the effects of subduction rollback on the lower plate remain less understood. The Aru Trough, part of subducting Australian continental margin, shows strong deformation and high seismicity, making it ideal for studying these effects. Utilizing multibeam bathymetry, seismic reflection profiles, GPS observations, seismicity and focal mechanisms, we investigate the crustal deformation, driving mechanisms and seismic risks in the Aru Trough under the background of Banda slab rollback. The Aru Trough shaped like an inverted triangle narrows from 160 to 40 km southward. It has a fast 53.8 mm/yr extensional rate at present, when combined with its maximum width suggesting a 3 Ma age. High‐angle faults (>60°) are present at its margins and interior. The trough has a high density of seismicity up to 5.9 events per 25 km2, with dominant normal and strike‐slip events, consistent with observed deformational patterns. The low seismic b‐value of 0.82 ± 0.01 suggests a high‐stress state with potential for strong earthquakes (Mw ≥ 6.5). Our findings indicate that lower plate deformation is profoundly influenced by subduction rollback, oblique arc‐continent collision and regional strike‐slip faulting. Understanding deformation in the Aru Trough is crucial for grasping the broader tectonic evolution of the Banda Arc and assessing seismic risks.