WAVE-DOMINATED SHORELINE DEPOSITS IN THE LATE MIOCENE SEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE IN THE MIRI FORMATION NORTH SARAWAK, MALAYSIA

• Main Authors: Muhd Nur Ismai, Abdul Rahman, Sanudin Hj. Tahir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Zibeline International 2017-01-01
• Series: Geological Behavior
• Subjects: Facies; planar cross stratified; swalley cross stratified; Hummocky cross stratified
• Online Access: https://geologicalbehavior.com/archives/2gbr2017/2gbr2017-14-19.pdf

The research area is located in Miri region, north Sarawak. Observation was focused on selected outcrops along road cuts and beach. The distribution of outcrops is widely distributed at a few localities in Miri region such as Tanjong Lobang, Airport road, Hospital road and Oil Well road. Sedimentary sequences can be traced by facies variations as shoreline environment based on the sedimentary structures. Four facies were identified and characterised successfully in the study area based on their sedimentary structures, namely facies 1: planar cross stratified (PcS), facies 2: swaley cross stratified (ScS), facies 3: swaley-Hummocky cross stratified (SHcS), facies 4: Hummocky cross stratified (HcS) and heterollithic facies (He). Facies evaluation deduced that the sedimentation settings resulted as foreshore, upper shoreface, middle shoreface, lower shoreface and tidal (minor occurrence). Wave-dominated in the upward coarsening interval is unambiguous that representing by abundance of hummocky cross stratification and other storm deposits in the sandstone dominated portions, well-defined swaley cross stratified sandstone interval, and up to several meters thick sets of planar cross beds interval interpreted to have been formed by swash waves. Heterolithic units in this wave dominated sequences are as minor occurrence of tidal influence during fair weather.