Cenozoic palaeogeographic evolution of Sulawesi and Borneo

Sulawesi and Borneo are located in the middle of the Indonesian Archipelago , an area which has been extremely tectonically active throughout the Cenoz oic. This paper compiles current knowledge on the geology and palaeogeograp hy of this complex region and includes the first attempt to synthesise pala eogeographic data onto plate tectonic reconstructions. Construction of pala eogeographic maps helped to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses o f current plate tectonic models for the region, thereby highlighting areas where further geological research is required. Palaeogeographic maps presen ted, using plate tectonio reconstructions as a base, illustrate the evoluti on of Borneo and Sulawesi and highlight important changes in the environmen t during the Cenozoic. The Tertiary geological history of eastern Borneo an d Sulawesi is inextricably linked to the progressive accretion of continent al and oceanic material from the east, onto the eastern margin of Sundaland , and to the resultant development of Volcanic arcs. Large tracts of wester n Sulawesi, eastern Borneo, the East Java Sea and the Makassar Straits form ed an extensive basinal area throughout much of the Tertiary Implications f or plate tectonics, exploration for natural resources and biogeography are discussed from the palaeogeographic reconstructions of Sulawesi and Borneo. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.