Volcanoes and fault lines are continually monitored for activity, since they pose a serious threat to many people. Fault lines that have not seen movement for a long time are especially being monitored, since a potentially deadly quake can happen from there anytime. Researchers get a view of the world's biggest fault for the first time, in the hopes of studying it more closely.
Indonesia is part of what is known as the Ring of Fire. This ring encompasses a large arc around the Pacific rim. The ring consists of a chain of volcanoes, where most of them also sit near various fault lines. One of those fault lines is the biggest in the world, which is found in Indonesia.
The Banda Detachment fault can be found in eastern Indonesia. Researchers are studying it in order to see how it formed. It is also very deep. It is about 7 kilometers deep under the sea, so it has not been viewed until now. Using high-resolution images, researchers have a good view of the Banda Detachment fault.
Geologists from the Australian National University (ANU) and the Royal Holloway University of London are studying the fault. The researchers are led by Dr. Jonathan Pownall of the Australian National University. The Banda Detachment is a rip in the ocean floor that is exposed for 60,000 square kilometers, according to the Australian National University's site.
Professor Gordon Lister is also part of the research team and from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences. He said that this is the first time that the Banda Detachment has been thoroughly seen and studied by researchers. He also explained that they chose the name Banda Detachment because of the region's geology, as Science Daily reports.
Parts of the fault could be seen above water. These are rocks that came from the mantle and brought up actions related to the fault. The study of the Banda Detachment is also important in assessing the danger it would bring in the form of tsunamis and earthquakes.
Researchers get a view of the world's biggest fault for the first time. This is important as there is much danger that it poses to many people in the region. A Mexican volcano is active and has thrown much ash into the air recently.
