Stratigraphic succession of the Australian margin between Kai and Aru islands (Arafura Sea, eastern Indonesia) interpreted from Banda Sea II cruise dredge samples
Résumé
A fairly complete sedimentary succession (3000–4000 m thick) off the Australian margin east of Kai Besar island (Arafura Sea) is documented from micropalaeontological analysis of samples from eight dredges collected during the Banda Sea II cruise on board Baruna Jaya III. Sediments indicate shelf environment, with siliciclastic probably Late Carboniferous-Early Permian sediments, Jurassic-Cretaceous black shales, open-marine pelagic sediments from Late Albian to Mid-Late Eocene age and shallow water platform carbonate deposited during Early Miocene. From Late Miocene to Holocene times pelagic sediments were deposited. Because samples were dredged, stratigraphic gaps in the succession can only be inferred, but the general sedimentary sequence is similar to that of surrounding areas in the Arafura Sea, as known from exploratory wells.