USING UPLIFTED CORAL TERRACES ELEVATION AND AGE TO RECONSTRUCT THE BIRTH OF THE BANDA RANGE, TIMOR REGION, SE ASIA

Elevation and location of uplifted coral terraces in Timor help recreate the uplift pattern and history of one of Earth's youngest mountain ranges over the past 1 million years ago. The elevation and age data combined with uplift rates shows that the island started as a series of local, near circular uplifts in what is now the central part of the island exposing the deepest structural levels. These local uplifts at rates of up to 1.5 m/ka eventually merge into a long ridge that progressively lengthens and widens in a patchwork manner. The nature of the variability in uplift rates across Timor argues strongly against the slab tear hypothesis for uplift. Other potential explanations include subduction of differing amounts of material on the subducting plate and differing structure in the upper plate.