Faulting Systems at Motupore Island

and
Regional Correlation

by; Bryan Matu - 20120097

Faulting Systems at Motupore and Regional Correlation

Abstract
Motupore Island, being part of an isle chain, has structures oriented that
are akin to others in the lineage of the general alignment in the isle chain.
The thrust fault blocks are all dipping to the east and are striking opposite
to the linear trend line of the isles. The beds are dipping almost vertically
but show separate sets of dipping direction indicating a twist. A regionally
significant fault runs through the length of Motupore Island. These
occurrences cause extensive deformation and folding at some sections
where the lithological make up is highly ductile.

Introduction
Motupore Island is part of a chain of islands that are oriented in a roughly north westerly direction propagating
towards the Bootless inlet. A mapping exercise was carried out at the island in which the attitude of structures where
recorded and their significance in the regional setting was considered and correlated. This was done due to the fact
that the nature of this islands bears sequential consistency with Poreporena Free-way rock faces structures which
were mapped in a previous field work.
This report simply describes the orientation of the structures found and the lithological units. It is negligent of float
sediments and only considers bed rocks. Some stereographic projections from the Poreporena Free-way rock faces are
also included for the purpose of comparison as the report also discusses how they may be related on a regional scale.

Physiographic Settings
Motupore Island is situated near the out-shores of the Tubuseria village and is adjacent to the Loloata Island resort in
south eastern part of Port Moresby. It is accessible by a 40 minute drive to Tahira Marine Base where a 10 minute
boat ride links it with travellers. The island has an extensive mass of sand bar extending for about 150m into deeper
part of the sea. It also has fringing reefs on its western side.

Figure 1: A planar view of Motupore Island. The lithology is outlined here

along with the sites mapped.

The south western part of the island is more exposed to waves of larger magnitude in terms of energy. It also has a
much more steeper gradient displays a progressive notching sequence as evident by the wave-cut platform. This
differs greatly to the north eastern part of the island where it is more sheltered and of lower energy. Since it being the
lee side, it is more vegetated and a thicker regolith.

As represented on the cross section which runs across the width of the island, the south western part has a more
steeper gradient compared to the north eastern shoreline. The hump is where the sand bar ends and where the depth
increases more rapidly.

Geological History
Motupore Island with the other islands in the island chain were all formed by obduction of the Pacific plate. Its slideover motion caused compression which resulted low grade metamorphic facies as indicated by chlorite alteration near
the Sogeri Plateau, close to stress source. The extent seen at the Poreporena Freeway is only mere thrust faulting of
higher altitude strata of marine origin. These beds date back to the mid-late Eocene and are just the same age as
those found at Motupore Island.
Motupore Island formed as a result of folding causing it to rise up to the current elevation. The breaks causing an
island chain rather than a parallel land mass occurred as a result of shearing due to proximal antithetic faults.
Lithology, Structures and Regional Significance
The structures were mapped at 3 different sides. These sites are labelled A, B and C and are located along the south
western side of the island where the exposure is more prominent owing to the rapid erosion and wave cut platform
formation.
Almost all the beds had thicknesses ranging from 4 to 12cm. Some that were thicker or thinner were usually found
around shear zones of strike-slip faults. The general composition of the beds was the same at all three sites inspected.
They are mostly calcareous to siliceous siltstone and chert. This corresponds with other previous work done and sorts
them to be part of the Port Moresby Beds. They are of the Late to Mid Eocene age and are exposed as a result of
folding due to obduction on the plate boundary towards the north east. The obduction caused back thrusting on these
accretionary beds. The beds exposed on the floor at site A towards halfway between B and C dipped less steeply than
those towards C.

Figure 2;Stereographic projection of the

calcareous ans siliceous siltstone beds found at
Motupore island.

The thrust faults are not exposed to the direction of incoming waves but are exposed on the sides of rock blocks. Due
to this, they were measured from the sides. The findings were similar to previous work carried out at The Poreporena
Freeway and it has become much evident after seeing that measuring these thrust faults from the side would be the
same as having a north-west view direction which is the same as that at the Poreporena Freeway.
The thrust faults are all striking almost north to south. Each thrust fault varied in the dip angle. The dip angle variation
trend was a general decrease in dip angle towards the eastern most part of the island. This may have happened when
the antithetic fractions were being tilting, proceeding at different rates. The thrust faults are associated with the
regional Koki Fault.

Figure 3: Stereographic projection of the thrust faults found

at Motupore Island. The slight variation in the azimuth
indicates a curve in the regional strike-slip fault of Koki Fault.
There was also a horizontal fault located at site 3. The occurrence of this fault post dates the thrust fault complex and
has a 46cm displacement on one of the thrust fault it intersects. It also cuts through the exposed strata on the floor.
There was an area along its path were the its orientation was altered giving rise to different dips on either side.

Figure 4: Stereographic projection of

the horizontal fault measured at two
different spots
Stresses acting on the island are directed as an arc when collisional points are aligned laterally. This complies with the
block contacts along the Koki Fault and is consistent towards the island chain. On some of the faults where there had
been local non co-axial stress due to lithology of blocks, fault breccias are found.

Conclusion
The Motupore Island formed from uplifting of calcareous to siliceous siltstone and chert beds from the Port Moresby
beds. The island is of mid-late Eocene and is the same beds seen at other exposed parts of Port Moresby, particularly
along the Koki Fault. The structures found suggests a regional primary stress coming from the north-west and
supported by pack thrusting from the north-east.

References

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