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Oligo-Miocene Tectonic of Java and The Implication for Flexural Basin of Southern Mountain in
Affecting Depositional System in Kerek Formation
Imam Farchan Bagus Romario1, Dewi Mindasari1, Rachdian Eko Suprapto1, Muhammad Azka Yusuf22
1
Geological Engineering of Diponegoro University 2Andalas Petroleum Services
Abstract
Kerek formation is one of middle-late miocene formation in
Kendeng Basin, Java Island. Kerek formation is
interpretated as back arc basin system with turbidity
sediment product of deep marine depositional environment.
Our main purpose in this research is to identify a new
sedimentation model which has compatibility with
sediment characters in the field and oligo-miocene
tectonisme of Java island. Methods of our research are
cross-sectional measured stratigraphy and petrographic
analysis from Oleum exposure samples in Kemusu Area,
Boyolali district, Central Java. The main lithologies in this
area are feldspathic wacke, mudstone (Dott, 1964 ) and
grainstone (Embry& Klovan, 1971) with sedimentary
structures are wavy lamination, hummocky cross
stratification, cross lamination with mud drapes, slump
structure, flute cast and convolute. By this information, it
could be concluded the sediment facies are sand ridge,
shoreface, offshore transition, offshore, slope apron, shale
interval, channel lobe and basin plain. Then the provenance
is lithology from dissected arc as a product of magmatic arc
(Dickison, 1986). The history of this depositional process
was begun by active tectonic process in oligo-miocene
caused volcanic arc in the southern java. Volcanism created
burial and subsidence process then asimetry fault or wellknown as flexural basin was formed (Smyth, 2008). Variety
of sediment facies from tidal influence to density grain
flow prove the product of flexural basin which has
characteristics small basin dimension with high slope.
Vulcanic sediment materials are deposited around the
shallow area of eruption zone. By the time, this
accumulations get increasing and involve avalanche with
slope direction. This process creates turbidity and debris
product till the base of the basin. Continously invertion in
flexural basin affects the evolution of sediment facies and
depositional system in Kerek Formation besides unstable
eustasy process during tertiary.
Keywords : Cenozoic Vulcanism, Kendeng Basin, Kerek
Formation, Flexural Basin, Depositional System
Preliminary
Stratigraphic Sequence
Stratigraphic sequence of Kendeng Zone is composed by
deep marine sediment materials at the bottom, turn into
shallow sediments upward, and non-marine sediments at
the top. Deposition of Kendeng Zone is dominated with
turbidite, carbonate and vulcaniclastic materials. Kendeng
Zone stratigraphy consists of 7 formations, from old into
young sequence as follows:

Pelang formation has range thickness about 85 meters to

125 meters (de Genevraye & Samuel, 1972). The main
lithologicals constituent are marl, silty marl with kalkarenit
bioclastic lens which contains a large number of
foraminifera fossils. Kerek formation has a specific form
with interlayered of clay, marl, tuff calcareous sandstone
and tuffaceous sandstones in graded bedding structure.
Pelang formation is divided into three members (de
Genevraye & Samuel, 1972), they are : Banyuurip member
is composed with interbedding of marl, clay with tuff
calcareous sandstone and tuffaceous sandstones. In the
middle of the bedding is found calcareous sandstones and
tuffaceous with thickness about 5 meters, while the upper
part is characterized by the presence of sandy kalkarenit
bedding with thickness about 5 meters with layering of tuff.
Banyuurip member is known as upper part of Middle
Miocene product. The second is Sentul member consists
with interlayer materials that has a similarity with
Banyuurip member, but the layer of the tuff material is
thicker. Kerek limestone is the youngest member of Kerek
Formation that consist interlayer of tuffaceous limestone
with clay and tuff bedding. The age of Kerek limestone is
N17 (middle part of late Miocene). The bottom of Kalibeng
Formation is composed by marl rich with planktonic.
Pucangan formation developed as volcanic facies and black
shale facies. The volcanic facies evolved as lava sludge in
top of Kalibeng formation. Kabuh formation is composed
of sandstone with non volcanic material such as quartz,
cross bed with conglomerates material, freshwater mollusks
and vertebrate fossils. Notopuro Formation consists tuff
interlayering with tuffaceous sandstones, breccia lava and
volcanic conglomerates. Tuffaceous sandstone get icreasing
upward. Inserts or lenses of volcanic breccias with
andesite and pumice as the fragments is characteristics of
Notopuro Formation .
Structural Geology
Stratigraphic and tectonic data showed Meratus Trend was
the eldest trend of Java Island. Faults as product of Meratus
tectonism had Cretaceous into Paleocene age and spread in
Karimun Jawa Highland into Cimandiri Highland in West
Java through Karang Sambung. Later, fault was reactivated
by younger tectonic activity in Late Eocene into Late
Oligocene. Java trend showed the youngest trend would
reactivate the previous trend (Pulunggono, 1994). Seismic
data indicate that the trend of reverse fault with the eastwest direction is still active until now. The western part of
Java Trend was represented by reverse faults such as
Baribis fault and fault in Bogor Basin. In the central part
could be seen the main trend in North Serayu and South

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Serayu Zone. In the eastern part of the direction was
indicated by the Kendeng Mountains reverse fault. Java
trend with direction (E-W) was formed since 32 million
years ago.
Data and Methods
This research was carried out on the part of Kendeng Zone,
especially Kerek Formation. Extensive research was done
by subsurface analysis with gravity methods (Waltham, et.
Al 2008) that found an anomaly magnitude of gravity on
the central region of the island of Java which was
interpreted as Kendeng Basin. Biostratigraphic analysis
based of occurences of microfossils in the rocks by using a
binocular microscope. Biozonation analysis was also done
to obtain te relative age of a litology. Analysis facies /
depositional environment was based on aspects of
sedimentology rocks which was known by shape of grain
gradation, sedimentary structures, patterns of deposition /
stacking pattern, and the thickness of the rock. Ten, based
on aspects of sedimentology were matched with the model
facies in the literature about depositional facies and
environment. Petrographic analysis was carried out by the
mineral composition of rocks microscopically observed
through polarization microscope. The aim in analyzing
petrographic rock in diagensis phase was to determine the
provenances.
Result and Discussion
History of Southern Mountain Development
According to Van Bemmelen (1949), based on the
physiographic condition, Central Java region was divided
into six physiographic area, they are: Quaternary Volcanic
materials, Alluvium Material of North Java, Bogor
Anticlinorium and North Serayu and Kendeng Zone
Mountains, Center of Central Java Depression Zone, Dome
and Mountains Depression Center and South Serayu
Mountains, as well as the most southern physiographic area
of the Southern Mountains of West Java and East Java. The
development history of Southern Mountains was closely
related to the tectonic history of Java Island and had an
important role in the sedimentation mechanism and the
basin system around the area. Convergence between the
Indo-Australian plate with the Eurasian plate produced
subduction that occurred in the Cretaceous into Paleocene.
The main tension created volcanic arc around subduction
zone. On the Late Eocene, Java were on the marine
conditions with some volcanic body emerging as a result of
subduction in the suthern volcanic arc. Vulcanics arc still
submerged but presumably still supplying material into
deep water (Clement & Hall, 2007). In Early Oligocene
Volcanic arc begins to shallow as volcanism continues
(Clement & Hall, 2007). Java volcanic arc growth rapidly
and produced high volcanic material that was transported

aroun the area. Volcanic material increased the load on the

lithosphere and produced regional isostacy with high slope
physiographic and narrow dimensional area, around
volcanic arc. To the norther part of Java, shelf deposited
interlaying material of marl and limestone. In Late
Oligocene, flexural basin system was formed by the burial
control of high materials
from volcanic arc. This
volcanism was a product of the early initiation of active
volcanism activities until now. East West tectonism trend
resulted volcanics arc that were known as Southern
Mountain. In the Early Miocene Volcanic arc was emergent
at times and carbonates developed locally (Clement & Hall,
2007). In the Middle Miocene, Southern Mountains became
as the main control of sedimentation materials in the north
part of Southern Mountain.
Kendeng Basin Developments in Oligo-Miocene
Kendeng basin was one of the basin of Central Java with
position between South part of Geantiklin and North part
of Java Plateau. Located on the continental crust that was
any part of Sundaland system exposure. Basin and
tectonism trend in Java were affected by the whole
subduction system in the south of Java. Kendeng basin was
on the back arc basin of the subduction zone, a type of
active margin subduction involving two plates with
different densities.Pursuant physiographic associations and
history of its formation, the mechanism on Kendeng basin
was isostasic that had crustal thickness changing with
crustal densification type. Crustal densification adalah
Density increase due to changing pressure/temperature
conditions and/or emplacement of higher density melts into
lower density crust. Loading concept of Kendeng Basin
came from the growth of volcanic material in Southern
Mountain that created local isostatic compensation of crust
and regional lithosperic flexure in Kendeng zone (figure 1).
Kendeng Basin was a product of volcanic loading and
known as Flexural Basin (Allen, 2005).

Figure 1: Morphologycal model of Kendeng Basin (Romario et.al, 2015)

Flexural basins are elongated along the tectonic strike, with
an asymetrical cross-section deepening towards the
orogenic belt or magmatic arc. Flexural basins on
continental lithosphere are close to strongly eroding source
areas, and are typically filled with large thickness of
synorogenic sediment. (Allen,2005). Flexural Basin
controlled sedimentation pattern with steepy angle of slope

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and volcanic materials as the main provenance in
depositional system

was controlled by the slope of the volcanic materials.Kerek

Formation and Its Sedimentation

Kendeng formation was showed with blue color, spreading from south into north
Figure 2: Anomaly Bouguer of Pulau Jawa (Waltham, 2008)

The Kendeng basin was long (at least 400 km) and narrow
(100120 km) (figure 2) and trends east-west, parallel to
the Southern Mountains Arc. The basin wa characterized
by a strong negative Bouguer gravity anomaly (figure 3),
which exceeds 580 ms2, and extended from west to
east. In East Java there was mainly northward-thrusting of
the Kendeng Basin at its northern edge some time after
volcanic arc activity ceased. All these observations suggest
that volcanic activity contributed in some way to basin
formation, possibly through loading by the volcanic arc
itself or possibly by weakening of the plate, or by a
combination of both (Waltham, 2008). Kendeng basin was
formed during the Middle Eocene (Profit and Sato, 1978 in
Waltham, 2008). The basin kept developed during the Late
Oligocene-Early Miocene due to increasing of volcanic
activity in the south which resulted burial and isostacy
process with geantiklin in the north was lower than
geantiklin in the south. This codition formed a basin which

The results of petrographic analysis was known that the

lithologics were feldsphatic wacke, mudstone (Dott, 1964)
and Grainstone (Embry & Klovan, 1971). The abundance
of mineral of each rocks were plotted on a Dickisons
diagram (1986) to determine the provenance of Kerek
Formation (figure 4).

Plotting of mineral composition showed 5 samples from

petrographyc analysis in magmatic arc (Yusuf, 2014)
Figure 4: Dickisson Diagram

Figure 3: Plotting of Bouguer anomaly from North-South of Java showed the morphology of the basin with dimension 100 km
120 km (Waltham, 2008)

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During Oligocene to Miocene occured uplift process of
volcanic arc in the southern part of Java, as a result of the
convergent plate interaction, Indo Australian oceanic plate
and Eurasian continental plates (Satyana, 2007). At that
time, volcanism in the southern part of Java, known as the
southern mountains were very active so that volcanism
materialsbecame the main source of basin filler in Kendeng
with turbidite mechanism (Smyth, 2008). The lithologies of
the Kerek Formatiom were dominated with claystone that
was created by pelagic materials in marine environment
before the high reworked of volcanic materials. Then,
sandstones unit were deposited while increasing the supply
of sediment from the southern mountains south such as
reworked of volcanic materials (Smyth, 2008) and
transition environment, terrestrial and shallow marine
materials such as coal fragments and autogenic carbonate
materials (Waltham, 2008). Reworked of marsh materials
were also indicated from the results of TOC analysis in the
claystone from Kerek Formation that showed the type of
kerogens are Type II and III as a characteristics of swamp
environments (Hidayat, 2007). Limestones unit was
deposited when the environment started into regresion on
Miocene (figure 5) or synthem III condition (Smyth, 2008)
due to reworked of Reef materials (Waltham, 2008; Joseph,
2014).

Based on Oleum outcrop of Kerek Formation was

obtained some stratigraphic sequence with sedimentation
patterns and the influence of sea level condition.Sea level
changes in the Kendeng Basin was influenced by changes
of global sea level (figure 7).
Changing of sea level was basically controlled by changing
of global eustasi and basin morphology, as a decline in the
basin was higher than the drop in sea level there would be a
phase of transgression, and so does the regression (Nichols,
2009).

Kerek Formation was deposited in transgression at Early

Middle Miocene
Figure 6: Global sea level in Geological Times Scale
(Vail, 1977)

Affects of volcanism in forming sedimentary rocks in Cenozoic. Kerek Formation was in Synterm as a result of reworked
volcanic materials.
A changing of basin morphology of Kendeng was caused
Figure 5: Synthem Volcanism in Cenozoic (Smyth, 2008)
of loading materials affecting sea level that had an
analogue with Nichols model (2009)
Figure 6: sea level changes medelling of a basin (Nichols,
2009)

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Kendeng rocks formation were deposited when the sea
level began to rise in late Oligocene due to the increased of
volcanic loading, initially Pelang was deposited in shallow
marine environment then subsidence of basin and global
sea level rise created transgression and resulted rocks in
Kerek Formation (figure 6). Transgression occured when
the declining of basin was larger than the declining of sea
level (Nichols, 2009). LST sequence stratigraphic units
(lowstand system track), the LST-1 and LST-2, where the
LST-1 unit at the top was limited by SB-1 and unit-2 LST
bordering the SB-2 and TST-1. Turbidity and debrite
materials in the deep marine when LST (lowstand system
track) formed grooves / channels on the slope area due to
excessive loading of sediment materials, hence became the
input point (entrenched channel) of sediment material from
shallow into deep marine, and would form a natural levee
deposits (channel leeve), lobe, mouth bar of the agradation
process in the deep marine in which the topographic was
flater. LST-1 and LST-2 system track was identified by
fining upward depositional pattern and existing of
mouthbar channel facies, channel leeve, lobefringe, and
channel lobe. Then transgression caused changes in the
character of sediment. On the transgression or TST
(Transgressive system track), sedimentation processes in
the area were affected by the storm waves (storm surges)
and tidal currents (tidal currents). Shallow sand deposits
were generally associated with transgressive system tracks
(TST), which was the best condition to accumulate shelf
macroform deposits during changing of coastline
(Posamentier, 2002). Macroform shelf deposits were
recorded as a sand ridge. In addition, there was also a result
of the sea wave erosion (wave ravinement surface)
indicated by the presence of the wave scoure as a reaching
area of ocean waves to erode the seabed. The recording of
wave ravinement surface in outcrop was shown by
explicitly facies changing (sharp), as found in GP 03, where
there was a sharp facies changing from offshore into
offshore facies transition. Then, avalanche deposits in the
sea which were characterized by the presence of
sedimentary structures slump which was an association of
slope facies apron, and the mud flow was characterized by
basin plain facies and dominated
by carbonaceous
claystone which characterized by the deposition pattern of
deepening upwards (deepening upward), of storm-tide
dominated sediment shelf on the bottom and deep marine
sediment on top. Then, the transgression would reach the
highest point of sea level rise or flooding surface. Flooding
surface occured during the transgression process, and the
differences between FS sequence stratigraphic unit and
TST sequence stratigraphic were FS sequence stratigraphic
unit generally occured as a cycle in the first transgression,
which characterized the stage of sea level rise, and the
sequence stratigraphic unit restricted FS at the top with a
sequence stratigraphic unit MFS (maximum flooding
surface) which was the boundary of sea level rise, there
was a sequence stratigraphic unit FS (flooding surface), as

in the example FS-13 in 07 GP occured deepening of the

sand ridge deposits into the offshore sediment with
sedimentary structure Hummocky Cross Stratiffication as
an identifier. After the transgression and flooding surface,
sea level had decreased drastically that was called FSST
phase (Falling Stage System Tract) and happened during
Middle Miocene - Late Miocene (figure 8) when global sea
level dropped and loaded of volcanic material at this time
was not so high because the material had reworked into
main materials of Kendeng sedimentary in the basin so that
the basin subsidence in Kendeng didnt happen as fast as
before when volcanic loading was the main control of
sedimentary, this caused a regression on Kendeng basin.
FSST events (forced regressive system track) indicated the
presence of clastic limestone (grainstone) was deposited in
shallow marine environments. FSST (forced regressive
system track) was one of the events that effected
transportation of reef dedritus materials / other carbonate
materials into the deep marine environment, precisely on
the slope area which closed with carbonate platform. In the
shelf, reef complex grew becoming the provenance of
clastic limestone such as grainstone on previous events,
then regression was happening during the event. FSST
(forced regressive system track) exposed the reef complex.

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Because the exposure of reef complex in the surface,
erosional process worked on the reef complex that
transported he detritus of carbonate towards the marine
environment, especially on the slope area which was close
with carbonate platform (Yusuf, 2014). This was caused the
presence of the wave equilibrium profile of ocean waves
area to erode the seabed due to sea level drop. Recording of
ocean waves erosion when the sea level relatively dropped
in the outcrop was shown by sharp facies changes, where
there was a sharp facies changes of submarine channel
leeve facies toward slope aprone limestone facies, the
boundary of the two facies was relatively firm. The
stratigraphic sequence of Kerek Formation deposition was
made a modeling with fluctuations of sea level (Figure 8).
Conclusion
Oligo-Miocene tectonism explained active volcanic activity
in the Southern Mountains with high volcanic materials
product. The southern mountains effected the basin
morphology of Kendeng and loaded process in the basin
that had been formed in Eocene with flexural basin type.
In Oligocene was with depositional of Pelang Formation.
Transgression was occurred at the beginning deposition of
Kerek due to high intensity of subsidence because of
volcanic loading. Kerek Formation was deposited on the
marine environment with domination of volcanic materials
as the provenance from Southern Mountain. Sea level
changes occured belong deposition of Kerek Fomation
resulting several stratigraphic sequence that started from
LST, TST, MFS, and the last forming FSST regression.
Refferences
Allen, Phillip. 2005. Basin Analysis. Blackwell
Publishing. Singapore.

Catuneanu, O. 2006. Principles of Sequence Stratigraphy.

Elsevier. Canada.
Clements, Benjamin. Petroleum Geoscience, Vol. 15 2009,
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de Genevraye, P., and Samuel, L., 1972, The geology
of Kendeng Zone (East Java): Proceedings of
Indonesian Petroleum Association 1st Annual
Convention, Jakarta, p. 1730.

Hidayat, Rahmad. 2007. Inventarisasi Kandungan Minyak

Dalam Batuan
Daerah Kedungjati, Kabupaten
Semarang, Provinsi Jawa Tengah. PSDG. Bandung
Smyth, Hall, R. Nichols, Gary. 2008. Cenozoic volcanic
history of East Java, Indonesia : The Stratigraphic
Record of eruption on an Active Margin. The
Geological Society of America.
Ramadhan, Bondan. 2015. Unravel Kendeng Petroleum
System Enigma : Recent Update From Transect Surface
Observation of Kedungdjati-Djuwangi-Ngawi Area.
IPA
Satyana. 2006. Deepwater Plays of Java, Indonesia:
Regional Evaluation on Opportunities and Risks. IPA

Figure 8: Sequence Stratigraphic Model of Kerek

Formation (Yusuf, 2014)
Van Bemmelen, R.W., 1949, The Geology of Indonesia:
The Hague, Nijhoff, Government Printing Office, 732
p.
Vail, P.R., Mitchun.1977. Seismic Stratigraphy And Global
Changes of Sea Level, Part Four: Global Cycles of
Relative Changes of Sea Level. AAPG Memoir 26, pp.
83-89
Waltham, Dave. 2008. Basin Formation by volcanic arc
loading. The Geological Society of America
Yusuf, Muhammad Azka. 2014. Kajian Fasies
Sedimentologi dan Sikuen Stratigrafi Formasi Kerek,

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Lintasan Sungai Klampok, Cekungan Kendeng Bagian
Barat, Kecamatan Kemusu, Kabupaten Boyolali,
Provinsi Jawa Tengah. UNDIP. Semarang