Subduction of this plate, which was rich in water and volatiles, caused flux melting to occur in the mantle.

Uplift due to accretion formed a Forearc Ridge, which the island of Nias is part of.

These sub-basins themselves are bounded by normal faults, which were formed due to depression of the region during sediment subsidence, and extension events.

[1] The basement rock of the Nias Basin, at its greatest depth lies at about 4-6 kilometers under the seafloor.

[1] This unconformity is the result of the area being subjected to subaerial erosion, but then was followed by a marine transgression, which deposited the overlaying Miocene rocks.

During the late Miocene, these carbonates were buried by large quantities of clastic sediments originating from the uplift of Sumatra during this time.

These sediments deposited faster than the rate of subsidence in the region, creating a continental shelf and slope in the west of the basin.

The newly formed continental slope deposited turbidites over the early-middle Miocene sediment that the shelf did not cover.

This unconformity could be caused by subaerial erosion due to a regression following the transgression, but it is unknown because that stratigraphy has been eroded.

The 3rd sequence shows a marine transgressive event following the previous unconformity, leading into the present day.

This relatively cool environment, along with the shallow nature of the seafloor as well as the depositional beds provide a welcoming setting for the creation of hydrocarbons.