The gravity field of the Papuan Peninsula

Abstract

Large gravity anomalies on the Papuan Peninsula (the eastern part of the island of New Guinea) are associated with the Papuan Ultramafic Belt, an overthrust ophiolitic complex which may once have formed the frontal zone of an island arc. Very low fields occur over outcrop of the underthrust sialic metamorphics. The extreme east of the peninsula is built up of basaltic lava over which moderately high gravity fields are observed; the structure of this latter area is most simply explained in terms of Recent extensional movements