The fault triggered the destructive 1998 North Maluku earthquake which killed 41 people.
The Sorong fault system has been documented to extend westward more than 500 miles (800 km) from Teluk Sarera to Kepulauan Banggai.
It is widely believed that fragments of the northern Australian continental margin in New Guinea are being detached and translated westward in this shear zone until they collide with the eastern margin of Eurasia (Sundaland) in the region of Sulawesi Island.
However, the details of terrane translation, amalgamation, and docking remain poorly documented at this time.
In particular, the timing of events is very poorly constrained, with estimates for the commencement of the SFZ ranging from early Miocene or older to Pleistocene.