The formation of the Makassar Strait and the separation between SE Kalimantan and SW Sulawesi

The formation of the Makassar Strait, situated between southeast (SE) Kalimantan and western Sulawesi, is still subject of much debate. Different authors have proposed several hypotheses to explain its evolution. The only agreement between those several hypotheses is that SE Kalimantan and western Sulawesi once lay close together and that their separation is due to the opening of the Makassar Strait. The age and driving mechanism for this opening are, however, still poorly understood. The strait separates the stable core of the Eurasian Plate to the west from the very active region of the triple junction of three large plates to the east. To the north the strait is bounded by the Sulawesi Sea and to the south by the East Java Sea. The strait is roughly 100–200 km wide and 300 km long and is usually divided into the North and South Makassar basins, separated by the Paternoster Fault. The present study interprets the history of the Makassar Strait using seismic reflection profiles and gravity models, in addition to the compilation of geological information. Implications for the origin of rifting is also discussed. The result of the present study indicates that Makassar Strait was formed by the vertical sinking of a subducting oceanic plate to the east of western Sulawesi, leading to trench roll-back. This vertical sinking was accommodated by extension and rifting of continental crust above the subduction zone at a previous site of collision, causing the opening of Makassar Strait. The time of this trench roll-back marks the cessation of subduction.