PROCEEDINGS J OINT CONVENTION SURABAYA 2005 HAGI-IAGI-PERHAPI

The 30
th
HAGI, The 34
th
IAGI, and The 14
th
PERHAPI Annual Conference and Exhibition
234
JCS2005-V143

NEW INTERPRETATION ON MAGMATIC BELTS EVOLUTION
DURING THE NEOGENE-QUATERNARY PERIODS
AS REVEALED FROM NEWLY COLLECTED K-AR AGES
FROM CENTRAL-EAST JAVA, INDONESIA

Akmaluddin
1
, D. Lucas Setijadji
2
,
Koichiro Watanabe
2
, And Tetsumaru Itaya
3


1
Department of Geology, University of Gadjah Mada
2
Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Kyushu University
3
Laboratory of Geochronology, Okayama University of Science


ABSTRACT

The time and mechanism of shifting from Paleogene-Neogene magmatic belts in the Southern Mountains
of J ava into Recent volcanic belts is still poorly understood. New geochronological data of intrusive and
volcanic rocks are therefore collected from transitional areas to reveal new understanding regarding with
this evolution. Eight (8) samples of shallow intrusive and volcanic rocks are collected from Borobudur,
Selogiri (Central J ava) and south of Lawu volcano, Ponorogo, and Ngebel Lake, Wilis volcano complex
(East J ava). These samples are dated on separated minerals (i.e., hornblende and/or plagioclase) using K-
Ar method. Mineral separation works were done at the Laboratory of Economic Geology, Kyushu
University, while K-Ar dating was done at Laboratory of Geochronology, Okayama University of
Science, J apan.

The results of K-Ar dating show that three rock samples from Lawu (040828-04 and 040829-09) and
Wilis volcanic complex (040829-13) are very young (Quaternary). Sample number 040828-04 represent
old Lawu volcanic center (dome or shallow intrusive complex), while sample 040829-09 represent a
Pleistocene (0.298 Ma) laharic deposit from Lawu. Sample number 040829-13 represents a Quaternary
explosive center at the Wilis Volcano complex. The dating results for the rest samples reveal three
volcanic centers of Upper Miocene age located at the transition zone between Quaternary belt and
Tertiary one (i.e., the Southern Mountains area). These volcanic centers are located at Borobudur (12.4
0.7 Ma), Selogiri (12.5 0.9 Ma to 11.9 0.7 Ma) and Ponorogo (9.6 0.3 Ma). There is no dated
Pliocene volcanic rock so far in areas between the Upper Miocene and Quaternary belt.

It is concluded that a major shift from Neogene to Quaternary belts occurred during the Pliocene epoch. It
is most likely that since Pliocene the volcanic belts occupy on the same location of Quaternary belts, and
that Pliocene rocks are currently completely covered by Quaternary volcanoes.


INTRODUCTION

The geochronology data of Quaternary volcanoes
are quite abundant due to results of research on
volcanology and geothermal. On the other hand,
the geochronology data on Tertiary volcanic rocks
are relatively scarce.

The majority of geochronology data are of K-Ar
dating method, especially on the whole rock
samples. Only several samples were dated on
separate minerals
Volcanic belts in the Late Tertiary (especially
between Upper Miocene to Pliocene volcanic
belts) already well known that the Lower to Mid
Tertiary volcanic belts in central-east J ava occupy
the Southern Mountains area (Soeria-Atmadja et.
al., 1994) is shown on Fig. 1 and the Quaternary
volcanic belt is currently situated about 30 km to
north of the Southern Mountains area. Based on
the available geochronology data it is understood
that until the Middle Miocene the volcanic belts
were still located at the Southern Mountains area.
But when and how the volcanic belts migrated to
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HAGI, The 34
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the north is unclear, because there is no
radiometric data shows the volcanic products of
Pliocene age.

Understanding the location of Upper Miocene-
Pliocene volcanic belts is considered important
not only from volcanology side but also mineral
exploration as most economic gold deposits in
west J ava are associated with volcanism of this
age (Carlile and Mitchell, 1994; Marcoux and
Milesi, 1994; Milesi et al., 1999; Greffie et al.,
2002; Harijoko et al., 2004; Rosana, 2004).

SAMPLES

Seven (7) samples are collected for K-Ar dating.
The samples are from the central and eastern J ava
and their distribution is shown on Fig. 2. The
sampling area is situated between longitude 110-
112
o
E and latitude 7.5-7.8
o
S. The description of
each sample is shown on Table 1.

METHODS

Samples Preparation
K-Ar dating was done on minerals (hornblende or
plagioclase) separated from the rocks. Mineral
separation works were done at the Laboratory of
Economic Geology, Kyushu University. The
mineral separation works consist of crushing the
samples, sieving, washing, hand picking, and acid
treatment. A weight of about 1 gr separate
minerals is needed for each sample. Sample
number 040822-04B was dated twice, using
hornblende and plagioclase respectively.

Isotope Measurements
The K-Ar dating measurements were done at the
Laboratory of Geochronology, Okayama
University of Science. Measurement of Argon
isotope using a mass spectrometry by measure of
radiogenic 40Ar as described by Itaya et. al.
(1991).
The K contents of samples were measured using
atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after a
total decomposition of mineral using hydrofluoric
acid

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The results of K-Ar dating are summarized on
Table 2. Three rock samples (040829-13, 040828-
04, and 040829-09) show very high level of air
contamination (>90%) due to their very young
ages. Although the results are bad in term of
measured ages and their errors, it is concluded
that these rocks are very young in age
(Quaternary). For sample number 040829-13, it
represents a Quaternary explosive acidic
volcanism event related with the formation of a
lake caldera (Ngebel lake), located within the
Wilis volcano complex. This kind of volcanism is
a rare event in J ava during Quaternary. Moreover,
its trace elements data show a high Sr/Y ratio
(adakite) character that make this site an
interesting place to study more. On sample
040828-04, it is very interesting to know that this
rock is coming from a shallow level intrusion (or
dome) approximately 5 km southwest of dormant
Lawu volcano. It was expected that this rock
represents ancient Lawu volcanism products
(Pliocene), but the K-Ar dating shows that this is a
product of very young volcanism event.

The resulting ages of other five rock samples are
all considered reliable and they show Upper
Miocene volcanism products. Sample 040829-05
represents Upper Miocene (9.6 0.3 Ma)
intrusive complex associated with a volcanic
centers. This site is located 10 km west of
Ponorogo city at the northern end of the Southern
Mountains area and just about 20 km south of a
Quaternary volcano (Lawu). It means that this
volcanic center (hereafter named Ponorogo)
represents the transition site of Lower-Middle
Tertiary volcanic belts in the south and
Quaternary volcanic belts in the north. The same
phenomena are encountered from samples
040821-10, XRF-90, and 040822-04B, that all
represent the sites of Upper Miocene volcanic
centers in this area. Sample 040821-10 (11.9 0.7
Ma) and XRF-90 (12.5 0.9 Ma) are associated
with the formation of a caldera complex at
Selogiri area. Meanwhile, sample 040822-04B
(hornblende age 12.4 0.7 Ma, plagioclase age
11.4 0.7 Ma) shows the location of intrusive
complex of a volcanic center near the Borobudur
temple. The petrographic observation shows that
hornblende is completely fresh but some
plagioclase is weakly altered, so that for further
analysis the age of this rock is determined to be
the age of hornblende (12.4 0.7 Ma).

The results show that three Upper Miocene
volcanic centers are successfully identified, i.e.,
Ponorogo, Borobudur, and Selogiri. These
volcanic centers are located at the northern margin
of the Southern Mountains area and therefore
represent the transitional sites toward the
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Quaternary volcanic belts. But there is a
significant time gap of about 7 My between Upper
Miocene volcanic centers and Quaternary
volcanoes that is not represented by an exposed
volcanic centers of Pliocene epoch. The reason
may be the fact that since Pliocene the volcanic
belts occupy the same location of Quaternary
belts, so that Pliocene rocks are covered
completely by Quaternary rocks. Soeria-Atmadja
et. al. (1991) reported some evidence of Pliocene
ages of the substratum of several Quaternary
volcanoes in J ava, such as Papandayan and
Malabar complex in west J ava, Dieng complex in
central J ava, and Beser volcano in east J ava.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of K-Ar dating from eight (8) samples
show that three (3) Upper Miocene volcanic
centers are identified at the transition zone of the
Tertiary volcanic belts (the Southern Mountains
area) and the Quaternary volcanic belt. The ages
of Upper Miocene volcanic centers are 12.4 0.7
Ma for Borobudur, 12.5 0.9 Ma to 11.9 0.7
Ma for Selogiri, and 9.6 0.3 Ma for Ponorogo.
There is no dated Pliocene volcanic rock between
these locations and the Quaternary volcanic belt.
Therefore there is a significant time gap of about
7 My between Upper Miocene volcanic centers
and Quaternary volcanoes that is not represented
by an exposed volcanic centers of Pliocene epoch.
This is most likely due to fact that since Pliocene
the volcanic belts occupy the same location of
Quaternary belts, so that Pliocene rocks are
covered completely by Quaternary rocks. This
interpretation concludes that a major northward
shift (counter-clockwise rotation) of volcanic belts
occurred after the Upper Miocene.

REFERENCE

Belon H., Maury, R.C., Soeria-atmadja, R., polve,
M., Pringgoprawiro, H., Priadi, B., 1989,
Chronologie 40K-40Ar du volcanisme Tertiare de
java central (Indonesie): mise en evidence de deux
episodes distincts de magmatisme darc. In
Koesoemadinata, R.P., and Noerdi, D., (eds) 2003,
Indonesian Island Arc: Magmatism, mineralization
and tectonic setting, ITB, Bandung, p. 187-193

Harijoko A., Sanematsu, K., Duncan, R.A.,
Prihatmoko, S., Watanabe, K., 2004, Timing of
the mineralization and volcanism at Cibaliung
Gold deposit, Western J ava, Indonesia. Resource
Geology, vol. 54, no. 2, 187-195

Itaya T., Nagao K., Inoue K., Honjou Y., Okada
T., and Ogata A., 1991, Argon isotope analysis by
a newly developed mass spectrometric system for
K-Ar dating, Mineralogical Journal, vol. 15, No.
5, pp. 203-221

Milesi, J . P., Marcoux, E., Sitorus, T.,
Simandjuntak, M., Leroy, J . and Baily, L., 1999,
Pongor West J ava: A Pliocene supergene-enriched
epithermal Au-Ag-(Mn) deposit. Mineral.
Deposita, 34, 131-149

Rosuna, M. F. and Matsueda, H., 2002, Cikidang
hydrothermal gold depositin Westhern J ava,
Indonesia. Resource Geol., 52, 341-352

Setijadji L. D., Barianto D. H., Novian I., Imai A.,
Watanabe K., 2004, A contribution on the
Paleogene stratigraphy of the Southern Mountains
of Central-East J ava: Evidence from the
Radiometric Dating on Igneous Rocks, Cross-
cutting Relationship and Hydrothermal Events.
Workshop on Paleogene Stratigraphy of Java,
Yogyakarta

Soeria-atmadja, R., Maury, R.C., Bellon, H.,
Pringgoprawiro, H., Polves, M., and Priadi, B.,
1994, Tertiary Magmatic Belts in J ava. Jour.
Southeast Asian Earth Sci., 9, 13-27










PROCEEDINGS J OINT CONVENTION SURABAYA 2005 HAGI-IAGI-PERHAPI
The 30
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HAGI, The 34
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IAGI, and The 14
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PERHAPI Annual Conference and Exhibition
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No Sample name Rock name Genesis Location
1 040829-13
Hornblende
dacite
Lava dome
Ngebel caldera lake,
west of Wilis volcano
2 040828-04
Hornblende
dacite
Shallow
intrusive/dome
Southwest of Lawu
volcano
3 040829-09 Andesite
Fragment of laharic
breccia
East of Lawu volcano
4 040829-05
Hornblende
dacite
Intrusive
South of Lawu volcano,
west of Ponorogo
5 040821-10
Hornblende-rich
tuff
Pyroclastics
Eastern rim of Selogiri
caldera
6 040822-4B
Hornblende
dacite
Intrusive Borobudur caldera
7 XRF-90 Basaltic andesite Intrusive
Semin, north of
Wonosari

TABLE 1: Description of K-Ar dating samples






No Rock Name Mineral
Rad 40Ar
(10E-8 cc/g)
Error
Air
contm.
(%)
K (%)
Error
(%)
Age
(Ma)
Error
(Ma)
1 040829-13 Hornblende -0.2129 0.6422 100.6 0.3639 1.154 -0.155 0.455
2 040828-04 Hornblende 0.1169 0.5338 99.5 0.3873 1.342 0.078 0.355
3 040829-09 Hornblende 0.3339 0.4136 98.3 0.2888 1.108 0.298 0.369
4 040829-05 Hornblende 21.1399 0.5302 46.6 0.5655 1.485 9.599 0.307
5 040821-10 Hornblende 10.6413 0.344 54.6 0.2302 4.649 11.884 0.705
6 040822-4B Plagioclase 12.2584 0.525 65.3 0.2775 1.045 11.368 0.746
7 040822-4B Hornblende 17.8654 0.6068 58 0.3689 2.602 12.434 0.749
8 XRF-90 Hornblende 12.3335 0.6665 69.4 0.253 1.937 12.519 0.919


TABLE 2:Results of K-Ar dating




PROCEEDINGS J OINT CONVENTION SURABAYA 2005 HAGI-IAGI-PERHAPI
The 30
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HAGI, The 34
th
IAGI, and The 14
th
PERHAPI Annual Conference and Exhibition
238




FIGURE 1: Tertiary Magmatic ares in J ava and the distribution of dated volcanic rocks
(Soeria-atmadja et al. 1994)






















FIGURE 2: Location of K-Ar dating samples in relation with their geologic environments. Samples
represent the transition zone between Tertiary volcanic belts in the south and the
Quaternary belt.