JIM ALVIN LOUISE S, DESUASIDO

201311400
Adamson University

FIELD REPORT
In Ilocos Region
Introduction

On September 30, 2017, our class of Petrology made its way through Ilocos
region for our 3-day field work. The main objective of our class was to study and to
obtain knowledge and information regarding real-life structures, rock formations, and
familiarize ourselves from the field for further discoveries regarding stratigraphy.

We’ve discussed outcrops and stations we’veencountered during our journey

and studied its lithology, structures, relation to the area, and even have some
samples for further understanding. We tried to gain full understanding of the outcrops
and the processes acting upon it, on how its past and present structure formed, and
its history. Trying to relate and analyse formations and its correlation with each other
to understand its importance.

Studying geology may be full of hardships, but it sure is fulfilling.

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Geology of the area

Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region. Its capital

is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzón Island,
bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra to the southeast, and Ilocos
Sur to the southwest. Ilocos Norte faces the West Philippine Sea to the west and
the Luzon Strait to the north.

Ilocos Norte covers a total area of 3,467.89 square kilometres occupying the

northern tip of the Ilocos Region in Luzon. The province is bordered by Cagayan to
the extreme northeast, Apayao to the east, and Abra to the southeast, Ilocos Sur to
the southwest, the South China Sea to the west, and the Luzon Strait to the north.

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Bangui formation was named by Smith (1907) for the sandstone unit which
constitutes the upper member of his Baruyen Series. It is here called Bangui
Formation to include not only the sandstone but also the associated conglomerate
and shale of Fernandez and Pulanco (1967) southwest of Pasaleng in northeastern
Ilocos Norte. These rocks are also seen along the road between Baruyen and
Pasaleng. In the Lammin area, a similar sequence is intercalated with marble.
However, the upper and lower contacts of this formation have not been described.
The lithology is composed of sandstone , conglomerate , mudstone and; includes
olistostrome

This formation was originally named Bojeador Agglomerate and Tuff by Irving and
Quema (1948) for the rocks at Cape Bojeador, northwestern Ilocos Norte. The unit
rests unconformably over the olistostrome of the Bangui Formation, serpentinites
and schists (BMG, 1981). It includes the conglomerate, graywacke, shale, limestone
and associated basic flows and pyroclastics of Fernandez and Pulanco (1967)
exposed east of Vintar, Ilocos Norte and northeast of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The
conglomerate is thick with poorly sorted pebbles and cobbles of angular to
subrounded andesite, basalt and limestone set in a sandy and slightly calcareous
matrix. The sandstone and shale are well-bedded, cream to buff and locally slightly
recrystallized. It is intruded by diorite of probable late Early Miocene age.

Batac Formation has a lithology of Thinly bedded sandstone and shale;

Conglomerate. Distributed at Batac, Ilocos Norte and northeast of Vigan, Ilocos
Sur.With an age, of Batac, Ilocos Norte and northeast of Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Laoag Formation has a sandstone with interbeds of siltstone and claystone and
occasional reefal limestone and limestone breccia. Distributed in Laoag, Ilocos
Norte, with an age of late Early Pliocene to Pleistocene. Smith (1907) first named the
sedimentary rocks exposed along the highway between Bacarra and Laoag, Ilocos
Norte as Laoag Marl Beds. Irving and Quema (1948) renamed the rock unit Laoag
Calcareous Sandstone. The formation is made up of flat-lying sandstone with
interbeds of siltstone and claystone and occasional reefal limestone and limestone
breccia towards the top. These are predominantly sandy well-bedded cream to buff
calcareous rocks.

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DATE: SEPTEMBER 30 2017

Station 1

Cape Bojeador (Burgos lighthouse)

GPS: N 18°30’52.8’’ E 120°35’ 46.8’’
Elevation: 74 m
Strike: N 50° E
Dip: 40°
Facing direction: N 50° E
The area is devoid of trees because of the constant strong winds since the altitude is
high.The walls of cape bojeador is composed of of greywackes and volcanic
rocks dated as Middle Miocene (Fig. 1.1). The outcrop surrounding the lighthouse is
also composed of conglomerate greywacke sandstone associated with pyroclastic
flow which is fractured (figure 1.2). The rocks are surrounded with white colored
clastic rocks. And it is a part of bojeador formation.

Strike is N 50° E
Dip is 40°

Fig 1.1 walls of

Figure 1.2
cape bojeador

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 Station 2

Kapurpurawan Rock formation

GPS: N 18° 32’ 16’’ E 120° 39’ 11’’
Elevation: 4 m

Figure 2.1 Figure 2.2

Figure 2.3

The area is typically a coralline area (fig 2.1 and fig 2.2) which is uplifted from the
sea to the land. There are visible black clastic, specifically basalt, which is formed
due to submarine volcanism (see in figure 2.3). In terms of age, the matrix of the
rock (corals) is definitely younger than the one it includes (basalt) hypothetically, the
basalts are formed by submarine volcanism and is transported when the corals were
forming and there it was included.

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Station 3 - Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
GPS: N 18° 39’ 0.5’’ E 120° 39’ 0.5’’
Strike: N 15 E
Dip 30°

Figure 3.1

Andesitic
lava flow

Calcarenite

15m

Limestone

The outcrop is composed of alternating limestone and calcarenite, associated with

lava flows on top of the outcrop. The beds formed are tilted due to geological
processes. It is possible a part of laoag and bojeador formation.

3.5 image showing herringbone cross

Figure 3.3 Figure 3.4 calcarenite shaped by wind and wave action
stratification and mudcracks

Figure 3.2 back of outcrop 3 showing visible alternating beds

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 The calcarenites on the area is formed from detrital sand sized carbonate grains
from corals, ooids, intraclast, and other fragments of limestone and dolomites. The
calcarenite’s surface looked like it is carved by the wind-blown sediments or
yardangs. There’s also signs of hummocky cross stratification and mud cracks.

Figure 3.6 sea stock

Sea
stack

There is also a sea stack is formed due to the action of waves. But is carved over
time by wind and water, processes of coastal geomorphology.

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Station 4

Bangui Windmills
GPS: 18 31’ 30.95’’ 120 43’ 9.27’’
Weather: sunny

Fig 4.1 sorting of beach

The sediment size of the beach is from sand to gravel. It differs from the areas that
are affected by the fair and storm wave base and its associated wave strength.
Sorting in the middle is poorly sorted, fair weather wave base sorting is fine, and the
storm deposits on the farther side from the waves are coarse.
The beach is formed by strong waves and is wave dominant. The continental shelf of
the area is too deep and is a part of west Pacific Ocean. Also, tempestites are
present.

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 Station 5

Bangui Windmills
GPS: N 18° 31’ 43.9’’ E 120° 43’ 35.9’’ Weather: Sunny

Fig 5.1

The outcrop is located along the

Fig 5.2 way to Bangui windmills.

A melange is present, a chaotic

mixture of rocks, characterized
by a lack of continuous bedding
and the inclusion of fragments of
rock of all sizes, contained in a
fine-grained deformed
matrix. The outcrop is weak and
easily broken. Composed of
breccia on top; and
conglomerate on bottom. The
lithology of the rocks are
sandstone and siltstone.

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Station 6

Pagudpud River
GPS: N 18° 31’ 43’’ E 120° 40’ 35’’
Elevation: 28 m.
Weather: Sunny
Pagudpud river is sinuous and is relatively steep. The vegetation on the river is
outstanding since water from the river feeds the surrounding vegetation. In the area,
the river is divided into 2 sections: the meandering; and the braided.

Fig 6.1 meandering section of Pagudpud river

Point bars

The sorting of sediments on the meandering side (left portion of the river) is relatively
fine and the vegetation stabilizes the meandering point bar.

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 Fig 6.2 braided section of Pagudpud River

The braided portion has coarse deposits. Looking at the overall map, the 2 sections
of river are connected on the higher gradient portion of the area. It is possible that
the processes on the two are unequal and contains uneven loads on both channel
which allows the diversification of channels.

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 DATE: OCTOBER 1, 2017
Station 7

San Nicholas Outcrop

GPS: N 18° 08’ 16’’ E 120° 35’ 04’’ Weather: Sunny

Fig 7.1

Lateral accretion

20m

Water seepages
Marine organism remains

The San Nicholas outcrop is formed due to fluvial processes: meaning that the
outcrop is associated with river processes. The sediment is coarsening upward. It is
a river eroded outcrop an d marine fossils are found on the middle portion of the
outcrop, it is possible that the marine organism remains are carried by the river flow
from seas. Lateral accretion, an outbuilding of sediment on the point bar, was seen
on the east portion of the outcrop.

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Station 8 - La Paz Sand Dunes and Paoay Beach.
GPS: N 18° 07’ 36’’ E 120° 30’ 23’’ Weather: sunny

Fig 8.1 La Paz sand dunes

The La Paz sand dunes is a sandy coastal desert facing the south china sea. The
area has multidirectional winds, so different direction of sands was also seen.
Vegetation is present which stabilizes the position and the shape of the sand.
Parabolic dunes were common since the plants pinned the sands, making it look
elevated (fig 8.1).

Fig 7.2 paoay beach Fig 7.3 magnetite sands

The beach sediment size is fine to coarse,

depending on the area also. Comparing to Bangui windmills beach, it has the same
sediment size according to storm and fair weather wave base. The sediments on the
beach has an outstanding magnetite sands can be seen on the naked eye. The area
is formed by the upwelling of seawater that makes the cold air that transport and
shape the sediments. It is affected by the wave and wind action. It has high
precipitation and low evaporation rate.

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Station 9
Paoay Lake
GPS: N 18° 07’ 07’’ E 120° 33’ 22’’
Elevation: 1m
Weather: Sunny

Fig 9.1 paoay lake Fig 9.2 paoay lake

The Paoay lake is a freshwater lake, formed by progradation. By progradation, it is

characterized by sea level change, high influx of sediments, and sediment upbuilding
of sea.

The lake is hydrologically closed. It supplies water from surface runoff and rainfall.
The sediment present on the lake is Sand, silt, and clay. It has very high organic
matter and is bioturbated

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The lake water has been formed in the past by transgression regression, so sea
water has entered the closed lake. Evaporite deposites are supposed to be present
in the lake since the history of Paoay has entry of sea water in the past

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Station 10
San Augustine church
GPS: N 18° 03’ 43’’ E 120° 30’ 16.4’’
Weather: sunny

Station 10.1 San Augustine church walls

Fig 10.2 corals Fig 10.3 corals Fig 10.4

The wall is made up of large corals on lower and upper part of the walls. The mortar,
or the sticking agent, is made up of egg white, sand and lime with sugarcane juice
boiled with mango leaves, leather and rice straw.

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Station 11
Currimao outcrop
GPS: N 18 59’ E 120 28’ 51’’

Fig
Fig 11.1
11.1 currimao
currimao outcrop
outcrop

Fig 11.2 corals on the area

The Currimao outcrop is a coralline structure formed on shallow marine environment.

It appeared on the surface by sea level decrease. The area is low tide and thus
formed slack waters from the tidal process. The area is associated with tidal and
wave dominated. Different carbonate materials such as fragments of corals were
scattered near the area.

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 Fig 11.3 framestone

There is also the presence of framstone, a solid carcareous or siliceous framework

maintained by organisms, in this case, a coral.

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Date: October 2, 2017

Station 12 - Abra river

GPS: N 17° 33’ 22’’ E 120° 27’ 59’’ Weather: Sunny

The Abra river is the intersection of Ilocos and La union, located on the southern
section of Mount Data.

Fig 12.1

15 m

The outcrop (fig 12.1) is rich in vegetation.

It is a tilted interbedding of mudstone, sandstone, and chert. The sandstone is
associated with volcanic minerals like amphibole. It also effervesced. But it is still a
sandstone, so it is possible that a carbonate rock is dissolved onto the sandstone
and filled the unused space or voids in the rock.

Fig 12.2 meandeing channel The Abra river, in this section, is a

meandering river. It is surrounded by 2
elevated land and has relatively deen
channel. It packs suspended loads (fine
sediments) It flows seaward. The point bar
possesses fine sediments transported by the
stream. On a larger scale, the Abra river is a
part meandering and a part braided just like
the Pagudpud river. The only difference is
that Pagudpud river fluvial system is on a
smaller scale.

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Station 13

Sulvec Point
GPS: N 17° 27’ 02.2’’ E 120° 26’ 02.0’’ Weather: Sunny

Situated in the Narvacan Quadrangle of Ilocos Sur, the Solvec or Sulvec Point, is a
huge outcrop area consisting of diorite, quartz diorite, mixed corals, and other
sedimentary structures that forms on shallow waters.
fig 12.3
Diorite

contact

Corals

In figure 12.3, we can see that the uplifted coralline structure is in erosive contact
with the diorite on a tilted area (intrusion and bake and chill)

Fig 12.4 Hummocky cross stratification is also been

seen (fig 12.4). The exposure of the
area was formed by the lowering of sea
level or regression. It is emplaced, not
transported.

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 Fig 12.5 bouma sequence

Fig 12.6 Turbidite deposits or simply

Fig 12.6 illustration of bouma
sequence
called the bouma sequence. A
tilted interbedding of sandstone
and mudstones. The colour red
of the bed is due to oxidation
and reduction. This is an
incomplete sequence of bouma,
since the actual bouma
sequence is just an ideal
sequence. The sequence is
composed of conglomerate (Ta)
as base, followed by
interbedding of sandstone and
mudstone, topped with lag
deposits (tb). The bed lamination
is parallel. And the deposit on
the sequence is proximal since it
is coarse grained. Better exposure of the deep water turbidite is needed for deeper
understanding of its stratigraphic column as seen on fig 12.7

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 Fig 12.7 stratigraphic column of
deep water turbidites.

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Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilocos
http://geology.wikia.com/wiki/Bangui_Formation
Geology of the Philippines (Second Edition)
Photo credit-stratigraphic column by Bea Rizza Miranda

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