Updating active fault maps and sliprates along the Sumatran Fault Zone, Indonesia

Abstract

The accuracy of active fault map, slip rate and its seismic parameters is crucial for seismic hazard analysis. Fault maps, segmentations and slip rates of the Sumatran Fault Zone (SFZ) have been revised in relation with ongoing activities for updating Indonesian seismic hazard map. In the northern part, several secondary fault strands in the eastern side of the main SFZ are added, including the Pidie, Biruen, Lhok-Sumawe, Peusangan, and Oreng faults. The Batee fault is now considered active. In the southern part, from Suoh pull-apart graben, SFZ branches into two major strands: the west and east Semangko fault segments. Toward south, the west and east Semangko faults are connected with series of marine grabens in the Sunda Strait, forming a 70-km-wide pull-apart structure that is bounded by SFZ and the Ujung Kulon fault, which carries SFZ dextral movement further south into southwest of Java island. Previously, slip rates along SFZ are considered increasing northward from about 5 mm/yr in Sunda Strait to 30 mm/yr in Toba Area. Consequently, fore arc region was thought to be stretched. Nowadays, according to the latest geological and GPS studies, slip rates appear to be more constant at ∼15 mm/yr. The total amount of parallel-SFZ extension on the Sunda-strait marine grabens is estimated to be about 18.7 km, almost identical with the largest geomorphic offset along SFZ. In assumption, the SFZ onset since 2 Ma indicates a slip rate of about 9 mm/yr in Sunda Strait. New slip rate measurement near Lake Ranau yields 8-12 mm/yr. Revised slip-rate measurements in both Lake Maninjau and Lake Toba yield about similar rates, ∼14-15 mm/yr. Thus, Sumatran fore-arc acts move northward along SFZ, which is more like a rigid block instead of much stretched.