Kuantan Basalts
Kuantan Basalts
Kuantan Basalts
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A MULTI-VENT ORIGIN
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Abstract
Introduction
Basaltic lavas and dolerite dykes in the Kuantan area were first
mapped and described in detail by Fitch (1951). The basaltic lavas cover
an area of some 125 km 2 and are the youngest rocks of the Malay Peninsula
for K-Ar dating shows them to range in age from 2.5 ~ 0.1 Ma to 1.2 ~ 0.1
Ma with an average of 1.7 + 0.2 Ma (Bignell, 1972; Bignell and Snelling,
1977a; Haile et al., 1983)~ The dolerite dykes, ranging in thickness from
2 cm to about 5 m, mainly trend between northeast and east (Hanif, 1975)
and intrude Upper Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks (Fitch, 1951) as well as
Late Permian to Early Triassic granitic rocks (about 250 Ma, Bigness and
Snelling, 1977b). Fitch (1951) considered that these dolerite dykes
represented feeder fissures to the basaltic lavas and thus implied a
consanguineous relationship between them. K-Ar dating of a dyke sample
at III + 4 Ma and a basalt sample at 1.6 + 0.2 Ma (Bigness and Snelling,
1977b) ,-however, indicates a long time interval between the two igneous
events. Haile et al. (1983), furthermore, pointed out that although the
dolerite dykes and basaltic lavas were closely associated spatially, they
differed in petrology, age and in palaeomagnetic direction and were thus
not genetically related. K-Ar dates for the dolerite dykes, some of which
cross-cut one another, however, show a considerable range from 79 + 2 Ma
to 129 + 2 Ma and it was noted by Haile et al. (1983), that the age of
the dolerite dykes has not been established as certainly as might be
desired.
situated at Bt. Tinggi) and pointed out that two types of lava flow (i.e.
an alkali olivine basalt and a basanite) could be differentiated; the
basanite type being extruded over the alkali olivine type. Chakraborthy
(1977) considered that these basaltic lavas mainly originated from two
different and mutually independent types of magma (alkali olivine basalt
magma and olivine nephelinite magma) that erupted from a single centre
(Bt. Tinggi as suggested by Fitch) without any Significant time difference.
Chakraborthy (1980) and Charkraborthy et aZ. (1980), furthermore, considered
that these basaltic lavas comprise three distinct petrographically distin-
guishable groups, namely alkali olivine basalt, limburgite and olivine
nephelinite. Fitch (1951) and Hanif (1975) have also recorded the presence
of vertical columnar joints within the basaltic lavas and this has been used
as a criterion for tectonic stability of the Peninsula during the Late
Cenozoic by several writers (including Stauffer, 1973 and Gobbet and Tjia,
1973) •
i:
~ Acid rolcanies Spot height N
v v regoli h
~
~ Contour line
Note I ,Regoliths over dolerite and (contour interval 100 feet)
quartz dikes not mappable. 0I Ikm
I
I'.)
oU'1
CYH/l/IJO
III
~IO
E
0 k1:l1 I("
+· + h d- d -)' I I It; • d d de dr + + h + + +, +" I">
'"
o0"1
Fig. 2. Basalt regolith unconformably overlying granite regolith. Loc. Slope cut on north side
of Kuantan Bypass Highway between kilometre posts 209 and 208 to Kuala Trengganu.
Note 1. Horizontal scale = Vertical scale.
2. Cut mapped in 1981, presently covered with vegetation and scree.
- 207 -
In the southwest part of the study area (Fig. 1); however, there is
a hill (some 1.9 km to the northwest of Bt. Ubi) with a spot height.of
212 ft (64.6 m) that appears to be completely built-up of basaltic lavas
for slope cuts all along its sides expose basalt regoliths. The exact
type of original bedrock is unfortunately indeterminate as unweathered
bedrock outcrops have not been seen. The regoliths and completely weathered
corestones found here, are, however, more reddish in colour in comparison
with those at Bt. Tinggi and suggest that there are"differences in the
composi tions of the basal tic lavas extruded at the two sites. The slope
cut exposures all along the sides of this Hill 212 furthermore, indicate
that it is developed over a considerably thick sequence of basal tic rocks
(probably exceeding 60 m). This would suggest that the basaltic rocks
constituting Hill 212 are not derived from the vent at Bt. Tinggi for whom
an extruded thickness of 20-25 m has been suggested by Hanif (1975).
~
Contour line
<)= Interpreted
Palaeo- flow direction 0
(contour interval 100 feet)
Ikm
\
I I
'"o00
Fig. 3. Interpreted palaeo-flow directions of basalt lavas within the Kuantan area.
- 209 -
regoliths around Bt. Tinggi are shallower and sometimes expose bedrock.
This would suggest t~at Hill 212 has experienced a longer period of
weathering in comparison with that experienced at Bt. Tinggi. In view of
these features, it is suggested that the basaltic lavas at Hill 212 were
extruded somewhat earlier than those at Bt. Tinggi.
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
Y.H. Ching and Roshdy are thanked for drafting the figures. This
study has been supported by a F-Vote Research Grant from the University
of Malaya.
References
Bignell, J.D. and Snelling, N.J., 1977b. K-Ar dates on some basic igneous
rocks from Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. GeoZ. Soc. MaZaysia
BuZZ., No.8, p. 89-93.
Chakraborthy, K.R., 1977. Olivine nephelinite and limburgite from Kuantan,
Pahang. GeoZ. Soc. MaZaysia Wart a GeoZogi, v. 3, No. I, p. 1-5.
Chakraborthy, K.R., Sita Ram, G. and Aidid, S.B., 1980. Rare earth element
abundance patterns in alkaline basaltic lavas of Kuantan, Peninsular
Malaysia. GeoZ. Soc. MaZaysia BuZZ., No. 13, p. 103-111.
Fitch, F.H., 1951. The GeoZogy and MineraZ Resources of the Neighbouhood
of Kuantan, Pahang. Geol. Survey Dept., Fed. of Malaya, Mem. 6
(New Series), 144 p.
Hanif, A.H., 1975. The Geology of the Kuantan APea." With Special Reference
To The. Petrology and Chemistry of The Basalts and Dolerites. (Unpubl.)
B.Sc. (Hons) Thesis, Univ. Malaya, 68 p.
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