The Matano Fault is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault in southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia, running roughly east-west and passing along the shores of the deep tectonic Lake Matano, one of the deepest lakes in Southeast Asia. It forms part of the Sula-Sorong fault system that helps accommodate the collision of crustal blocks in eastern Indonesia.
The fault links westward to the Palu-Koro Fault, and together these structures channel the movement of crustal fragments squeezed between the converging Australian, Pacific and Sunda plates. Its trace cuts through mountainous terrain rich in nickel-bearing rocks and controls the shape of several deep lake basins.
The Matano Fault is seismically active and capable of generating strong earthquakes in a sparsely populated but tectonically dynamic part of Indonesia. Its role in the intricate plate mosaic of Sulawesi makes it an important structure for understanding how continental crust deforms at a complex tectonic triple junction.