Back-arc basin origin for the East Sulawesi ophiolite

(eastern Indonesia)
Christophe Monnier
JE 254D53, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière, 44072 Nantes, France
Jacques Girardeau
René C. Maury
URA 1278, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, B.P 809, 29285 Brest Cedex, France
Joseph Cotten

ABSTRACT
The East Sulawesi ophiolite is one of the three largest ophiolites in the world. It INTRODUCTION
displays all the components of a typical sequence, from residual mantle peridotites to Ophiolites were interpreted as having
cumulate gabbros, sheeted dolerites, and lavas of normal mid-oceanic-ridge basalt formed in truly oceanic environments, e.g.,
(MORB) composition. Trace element data on the lavas and dolerites, and particularly their slow- or fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges.
depletion in Nb compared to neighboring incompatible elements, suggest a subduction- However, many studies based on petro-
zone environment for their origin. The chemical similarity between the East Sulawesi graphic and geochemical data have led to
ophiolite lavas and those from the Eocene Celebes Sea back-arc basin crust together with the conclusion that ophiolites often display
their identical age strongly suggest a back-arc tectonic environment for this ophiolite, signatures consistent with their formation
which represents a fragment of the Eurasian plate obducted onto the East Sulawesi base- above subduction zones (Miyashiro, 1973;
ment of Australian origin. Evans, 1983; Taylor and Nesbitt, 1988; Jen-
ner et al., 1991; Elthon, 1991; Pearce, 1991).
Negative anomalies in Nb and Ta with re-
spect to elements of similar incompatibility
have been observed in lavas from the top of
ophiolite complexes and to a lesser degree
in dolerites from dikes or sills crosscutting
the ophiolite sequence. Such anomalies are
also often observed in lavas dredged or
drilled in modern back-arc basins, which
have thus been considered as potential sites
for ophiolite generation (Taylor et al.,
1992).
Besides the Oman ophiolite, the two larg-
est ophiolitic massifs of the world are lo-
cated in Southeast Asia. They are the Pa-
pua–New Guinea ophiolite, the origin of
which is still a matter of debate (Jaques and
Chappell, 1980; Elthon, 1991), and the East
Sulawesi ophiolite, which crops out over
.10 000 km2 in the northeastern and south-
eastern arms of Sulawesi (Fig. 1).

EAST SULAWESI OPHIOLITE

Sulawesi Island, located at the junction
between the Australian, Pacific, and Eur-
asian plates, has a K shape (Fig. 1). This
peculiar shape probably resulted from the
collision and subsequent accretion of mi-
croblocks of eastern origin with the Eur-
asian margin represented by the western
arm of Sulawesi. The exact tectonic setting
and kinematics of the emplacement of the
ophiolite are still not understood, although
it has been considered as linked to the over-
thrusting of fragments of Australian origin
onto the Eurasian margin (Hamilton, 1979).
Although the ophiolite is tectonically dis-

Figure 1. Simplified sketch map of eastern In-

donesia, showing sampling areas in East Su-
lawesi ophiolite and other reference sites dis-
cussed in text. Tectonic features modified
from Sukamto (1975), Hamilton (1979), and
Rangin et al. (1990a, 1990b).

Geology; September 1995; v. 23; no. 9; p. 851– 854; 5 figures; 1 table. 851

Figure 2. Reconstructed stratigraphic
section of East Sulawesi ophiolite.
membered, all parts of a normal ophiolite
sequence have been found, and nearly con-
tinuous sections from peridotites to lavas
have been observed between Poso and Lu-
wuk in the northeastern arm and near So-
roako in its southeastern arm (Fig. 1). These
sections have allowed us to reconstruct a 10-
km-thick ophiolitic log (Fig. 2) including a
4-km-thick crustal part overlying ;6 km of
mantle peridotite.
The peridotites include a few spinel lher-
zolites interlayered with diopside-rich har-
zburgites, which are found mostly at the top
of the mantle unit. Massive dunites are con-
centrated mostly at the top of the mantle
sequence but are also found as layers or
patches. Gabbroic dikes and doleritic sills,
locally 1 m thick, are common especially in
the upper part of the ophiolitic pile where
they crosscut the peridotitic units.
The crustal sequence comprises different
types of gabbros (layered and isotropic two-
pyroxene gabbros, amphibole-bearing gab-
bros) together with plagiogranites, dolerites,
and lavas. The gabbros, ,100 m thick, dis-
play 5- to 15-cm-thick layers showing varia-
tions in the contents of modal olivine, py-
roxene, and plagioclase from the bottom to
the top. They are overlain by an ;1-km-
thick pile of coarse-grained isotropic gab-
bros and massive dolerites. The latter show
clear intrusive relations with the gabbros
and locally form a sheeted complex rooted
into the uppermost isotropic gabbros.
Strongly altered basaltic submarine lavas
overlie the doleritic units in two places.
852
MINERAL CHEMISTRY
The average modal composition of the
lherzolites is 70% olivine, 19% orthopyrox-
ene, 10% clinopyroxene, and 0.5%–1%
spinel. The average harzburgite contains
77% olivine, 20% orthopyroxene, 2% to 3%
spinel, and ,2% clinopyroxene. Spinel
modal abundance in dunites may be as much
as 4%.
The Mg number of olivine (equal to Mg/
[Mg 1 Fe]) varies from 0.89 in lherzolites to
0.90 in harzburgites and 0.91 in dunites. En-
statite Cr2O3 (0.6%) and CaO (1.3%) con-
tents are nearly constant, but the corre-
sponding Al2O3 contents decrease from
lherzolites (2.4%– 4.4%) to harzburgites
(1.3%–2.5%). Diopside TiO2 and Na2O
contents decrease from 0.30% and 0.44% in
the lherzolites to 0.15% and 0.26% in the
harzburgites, respectively. The spinel Cr
numbers (Fig. 3) largely range from 0.2 to
0.8, suggesting a high degree of melting for
some of the peridotites (Pearce et al., 1984;
Dick and Bullen, 1984). The large range of
variation in Cr numbers of spinels from the
dunites apparently does not reflect their de-
gree of depletion (and melting) except for
the most Cr-rich ones (Cr number 5 0.8)
(Fig. 3). Dunites bearing Cr-poor spinels
can be hence considered as having replaced
harzburgites, as shown by Kelemen et al.
(1992).
Most of the gabbros are very fresh (,5
modal % secondary phases) and coarse
grained. Several types of gabbros are found;
from bottom to top, they are (1) rare banded
clinopyroxene-plagioclase-olivine gabbros
with laminated interstitial olivine, (2) iso-
tropic two-pyroxene gabbros with cumulus
orthopyroxene, and finally (3) clinopyroxene-
and/or amphibole-bearing, isotropic to peg-
matitic gabbros with cumulus plagioclase.
Massive and intrusive dolerites are fresh
and contain ;70% plagioclase, 25% Fe-Mg
silicates, and 2%–5% Fe-Ti oxides. The
lavas contain ;80 –90 modal % skeletal pla-
gioclase generally converted to albite, 5%–
10% interstitial clinopyroxene locally trans-
formed into amphiboles, 2%– 4% ilmenite,
and a largely chloritized matrix.
BULK-ROCK CHEMISTRY
As shown by their modal composition and
phase chemistry, the peridotites all display
residual characteristics. Even the least de-
pleted samples, which contain ;2.1% CaO
and 2.5% Al2O3, are depleted with respect
to the primitive mantle (Table 1). From
these least depleted samples to the dunites,
the compatible elements Cr, Co, and Ni in-
crease significantly whereas Ti, Al, and Ca
strongly decrease as expected for the resi-
dues after increasing degrees of partial melt-
ing. The gabbros show a wide compositional
Figure 3. Cr number vs. Mg number of spinels
(Sp) from East Sulawesi peridotites.
range, well illustrated by their MgO con-
tents, which decrease from 17.2% to 5.5%,
whereas Al2O3 and CaO continuously in-
crease. Such trends are consistent with in-
creasing fractional crystallization of basaltic
magma. The dolerites have a less variable
composition; however, their MgO contents
vary from 10% to 4% (8%–5% for the lavas)
for nearly constant contents of Al2O3, TiO2,
and SiO2.
The rare earth element (REE) abun-
dances and patterns of gabbros and most
dolerites are characterized by low concen-
trations and a significant depletion in light
REEs, with positive Eu anomalies, typical of
cumulate rocks. The lavas display higher
REE concentrations, with almost flat or
slightly light REE– depleted patterns typical
of normal mid-oceanic-ridge basalt magmas
(Fig. 4). However, their trace element dia-
grams show a slight but significant depletion
in Nb compared to neighboring incompati-
ble elements (Fig. 4). This feature is gener-
ally interpreted as characteristic of magmas
generated within back-arc basins (Saunders
and Tarney, 1984). Although the trace ele-
ment concentrations in dolerites and gab-
bros are very low, their general patterns are
similar to those of the lavas, with negative
Nb anomalies that point to a similar origin
for all these crustal rocks.
PECULIARITIES OF THE EAST
SULAWESI OPHIOLITE
The main lithological features of the East
Sulawesi ophiolite are rather similar to
those of normal ophiolitic sequences. It be-
GEOLOGY, September 1995
Figure 4. Incompatible element spidergrams of East Su-
lawesi basalts compared to those from Celebes Sea basin
(Ocean Drilling Program Leg 124, Serri et al., 1991) and
Figure 5. Illustration of possible structure of paleo–Celebes Sea before
Tinombo-Labuanaki formation of North Sulawesi (Priadi et
ophiolitic obduction, based on variation of (La/Nb)CN ratios. Normalization
al., 1994). Normalization values from Sun and McDonough
values from Sun and McDonough (1989).
(1989).

longs to the lherzolite subtype of Boudier

and Nicolas (1985) but displays rather pe-
culiar characteristics:
1. The very heterogeneous lithology of its
mantle sequence indicates that partial melt-
ing was not a pervasive phenomenon at the
scale of the whole massif, but was probably
channeled in specific zones best represented
by the dunite patches. The common pres-
ence of lherzolites and of residual chromian
diopside in the peridotite sequence show
that the ophiolitic mantle underwent a rel-
atively low degree of melting.
2. Banded cumulate gabbros are rather
rare in the crustal sequence, which is dom-
inantly made up of laminated and isotropic
gabbros and massive dolerites. Doleritic in-
trusions crosscut the whole crustal sequence
and form sills at the top of the mantle unit,
where they are found together with gabbroic
dikes. Sheeted doleritic dikes are observed
locally at the transition between the gab-
broic pile and the lavas.
3. The lavas display REE patterns typical
of normal MORB. Their trace element
abundances and particularly their low Nb
contents show, however, that their mantle
source was Nb depleted. Such slight nega-
tive Nb anomalies are typical of back-arc
basalts (Saunders and Tarney, 1984; Jenner
et al., 1991; Taylor et al., 1992). Lavas from TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS lian plate beneath Eurasia (Rangin et al.,
the East Sulawesi ophiolite are geochemi- The Tertiary geologic evolution of South- 1989, 1990a, 1990b; Rangin and Silver,
cally similar (Fig. 4) to those from the Ti- east Asia was characterized by the forma- 1991). Similar ages were obtained by K-Ar
nombo-Labuanaki formation in the north tion of numerous small marginal basins, the dating of Eocene back-arc basin basalts
arm of Sulawesi (Priadi et al., 1994) and to origin of which has been related either to the from the Tinombo-Labuanaki Formation in
those from the Celebes Sea basin (Serri et subduction of the Pacific, Indian, or Philip- North Sulawesi (52.6 – 42.5 Ma; Priadi et al.,
al., 1991), both located north of the East pine plates beneath the Eurasian margin or 1994). K-Ar ages on magmatic hornblendes
Sulawesi ophiolite (Fig. 1). They all show to transcurrent faulting (Katili, 1975; Ham- from the East Sulawesi ophiolite, 44 6 4 Ma
significative Nb negative anomalies, which ilton, 1979; Rangin et al., 1989; Daly et al., (middle Eocene: Monnier et al., 1994), fall
increase from the Celebes Sea basalts to the 1991; Metcalfe, 1993). The Celebes Sea within the wide K-Ar age range (96 –32 Ma)
East Sulawesi ophiolite, as indicated by the opened at 50 to 42 Ma (Eocene) (Weissel, obtained from mafic lavas from the Balantak
southward increase of chondrite-normalized 1980) in a back-arc environment as a result ophiolite, easternmost Sulawesi (Simand-
(CN) La/Nb ratios (Fig. 5). of the northward subduction of the Austra- juntak, 1986; Mubroto et al., 1994). Given

GEOLOGY, September 1995 853

their nearby location (Fig. 1) and closely
similar ages, we propose that the East Su-
lawesi ophiolite, the Tinombo-Labuanaki
formation of North Sulawesi, and the
present Celebes Sea basin crust represent
fragments originating from a single back-arc
basin, the paleo–Celebes Sea (Fig. 5). The
variation of (La/Nb)CN ratios in the basalts
from these fragments (Fig. 5) might corre-
spond to variable distances from the ridge,
as observed for modern back-arc basins, in
which negative Nb anomalies tend to disap-
pear as ocean crust formation progresses
(Saunders and Tarney, 1984). In our hy-
pothesis, the southern rims of the paleo–
Celebes Sea were tectonically accreted to
the north (Tinombo-Labuanaki) and east
arms of Sulawesi, respectively, whereas the
central part of the back-arc basin remained
more or less in its original position (Fig. 8 of
Surmont et al., 1994) corresponding to the
present-day Celebes Sea. Mubroto et al.
(1994), however, concluded from paleomag-
netic measurements that the Balantak
ophiolite, another piece of the Sulawesi
ophiolitic puzzle, formed in the Southern
Hemisphere (17 6 48S). It is obviously dif-
ficult to estimate paleolatitudes from ‘‘dis-
membered and highly faulted sequences’’
(Mubroto et al., 1994, p. 196), but this result
may indicate either that the East Sulawesi
ophiolite is composite and includes frag-
ments originating from different back-arc
basins, or, alternatively, that the paleo–
Celebes Sea was larger than postulated from
the study of magnetic lineations (Weissel,
1980). The main tectonic implication of our
model is that the obduction did not involve
westward thrusting of a piece of Australia on
the Eurasian margin (Katili, 1978; Hamil-
ton, 1979). More likely, it was emplaced by
north-to-south obduction of the margin of
the Eurasian plate, represented by the
Celebes Sea, over the basement of eastern
Sulawesi, probably of Australian origin
(Helmers et al., 1990; Cornée et al., 1994).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Supported by MESR, MAE, and INSU-CNRS
through the PICS-Indonésie and Géosciences
Marines. We thank M. Polvé for help during
ICP-MS analyses and J. Pearce and D. Fountain
for critical reviews.
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Manuscript received December 12, 1994
Revised manuscript received June 5, 1995
Manuscript accepted June 13, 1995
GEOLOGY, September 1995