Warta Geologi, Vol. 48, No. 3, December 2022, pp. 153–163

Characterizing a weathering profile over quartz-mica schists in undulating terrain in Peninsular Malaysia

John Kuna Raj

No. 83, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi 2, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Email address: jkr.ttdi.tmc@gmail.com

 

Abstract: The weathering profile can be differentiated into an upper, 4.8 m thick, pedological soil (zone I) and a lower, >16.2 m thick, saprock (zone II). Zone I comprises thin IA and IB soil horizons of firm, clayey sand with lateritic concretions, and a IC soil horizon of stiff, clayey silt with quartz clasts and lateritized core-stones. Zone II comprises steeply dipping to vertical, bands of pinkish to grey, stiff silt with distinct relict foliation (highly weathered schist) inter-fingering with bands of reddish yellow, firm clayey silt with indistinct foliation (completely weathered schist) towards its top, and bands of white to light grey, hard silt with distinct foliation (moderately weathered schist) towards its bottom. Lateral variations in abundance of differently weathered schist and preservation of fracture planes allow zone II to be separated into IIA, IIB and IIC sub-zones. The pedological soil (zone I) can be correlated with Class VI of standard rock mass weathering classifications, whilst the saprock sub-zones IIA, IIB and IIC are correlated with Classes V, IV and III, respectively. Silt fractions in the profile consist predominantly of sericite flakes, whilst the sand fractions are mostly of quartz grains and the clay fractions of mainly illite and kaolinite. Decreasing densities, unit weights and silt contents up the profile, but increasing porosities and clay contents, indicate increasing in situ alteration of the schist bedrock. Lowering of an unconfined groundwater table as a result of down-cutting by rivers in adjacent valleys is considered responsible for development of the weathering profile.

 

Keywords: Quartz-mica schists, weathering profile, schist weathering stages, weathering zones

 

References

AASTM, American Society for Testing & Materials, 1970. Special Procedures for Testing Soil and Rock for Engineering Purposes. Special Publication 479, American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia. 630 p.

Baynes, F.J., Dearman, W.R., & Irfan, T.Y., 1978. Practical assessment of grade in a weathered granite. Bull. Int. Assoc. Engineering Geol., 18, 101-109.

Carroll, D., 1970. Rock weathering. Plenum Press, New York. 203 p.

Dearman, W.R., 1974. Weathering classification in the characterization of rock for engineering purposes in British practice. Bull. Int. Assoc. Engineering Geol., 9, 33-42.

Dearman, W.R., 1976. Weathering classification in the characterization of rock: A revision. Bull. Int. Assoc. Engineering Geology, 13, 123-127.

Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A., & Zussman, J., 1992. An introduction to the rock forming minerals, 2nd edition. Longman Scientific & Technical, New York. 696
p.

Deere, D.V., & Patton, F.D., 1971. Slope stability in residual soils. Proceedings VI Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Puerto Rico, 1, 87-170.

FAO, Food & Agricultural Organization, 2006. Guidelines for soil description, 40th edition. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. 109 p.

GSL, Geological Society of London, 1977. The description and classification of weathered rock for engineering purposes.

Geol. Soc. Engineering Group Working Party Rept., Quart. J. Engineering Geol., 28, 207–242.

Hamdan, J., & Burnham, C.P., 1997. Physico-chemical characteristics of three saprolites in Peninsular Malaysia. Communications Soil Science & Plant Analysis, 28, 1817-1834.

IAEG, International Association for Engineering Geology, 1981. Rock and soil description for engineering geological mapping. Bull. Int. Assoc. Engineering Geol., 24, 235-274.

Irfan, T.Y., & Dearman, W.R., 1978. Engineering classification and index properties of a weathered granite. Bull. Int. Assoc. Engineering Geol., 17, 79-90.

ISRM, International Society for Rock Mechanics, 1981. Suggested methods for rock characterization testing and monitoring. Brown, E.T. (Ed.), Pergamon Press, Oxford. 211 p.

ISRM, International Society for Rock Mechanics, 2007. The complete ISRM suggested methods for rock characterization, testing and monitoring: 1974-2006. International Society for Rock Mechanics, ISRM Turkish National Group Ankara, Turkey. 628 p.

Khalid, B.N., 1972. Brief geology of the Seremban area, Sheet 103. Ann. Rept., 1972, Geological Survey of Malaysia, 86-93.

Komoo, I., & Mogana, S.N., 1988. Physical characterization of weathering profiles of clastic meta-sediments in Peninsular Malaysia. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Geomechanics in Tropical Soils, 12-14 Dec 1988, Singapore, 1, 37-42.

Lan, H.X., Hu, R.L., Yue, Z.Q., Fee, C.F., & Wang, S.J., 2003. Engineering and geological characteristics of granite weathering profiles in South China. J.
Asian Earth Sciences, 21, 353-364.

Leamy, M.L., & Panton, W.P. 1966. Soil survey manual for Malayan conditions. Soil Science Division, Department of Agriculture Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. 226
p.

Lee, S.G. & de Freitas, M.H., 1989. A revision of the description and classification of weathered granite and its application to granites in Korea. Quart. J.
Engineering Geol., 22, 31-48.

Little, A.L., 1969. The engineering classification of residual tropical soils. Proc. 7th Int. Conf. Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering, Mexico, 1, 1-10.

Marques, E.A.G., & Williams, D.J., 2015. Weathering of Bunya Phyllite in Southwest Brisbane – A geotechnical approach. In: Ramsey, G. (Ed.), Proc. 12th Australia New Zealand Conf. Geomechanics, Wellington, New Zealand, 22-25 February 2015, 1-8.

Martin, C.P., & Hencher, S.R., 1986. Principles for description and classification of weathered rock for engineering purposes. In: Hawkins, A.B. (Ed.), Site investigation practice, Assessing BS 5930. Engineering Geology Special Publication 2, Geol. Soc. London, 299-308.

Moye, D.G., 1955. Engineering geology for the Snowy Mountains scheme. J. Inst. Engineers Australia, 27, 287-298.

Price, D.G., 1995. Weathering and weathering processes. Quart. J. Engineering Geol., 28, 243-252.

Rahardjo, H., Aung, K.K., Leong, E.C., & Rezaur, R.B., 2004. Characteristics of residual soils in Singapore as formed by weathering. Engineering Geol., 73, 157-169.

Raj, J.K., 1983. A study of residual soils and their slope cut stability in selected areas of Peninsular Malaysia. Doctor of Philosophy Thesis (Unpublished), Department of Geology, University of Malaya. 462 p.

Raj, J.K., 1993. Clay minerals in the weathering profile of a quartz-mica schist in the Seremban area, Negeri Sembilan. Pertanika, J. Tropical Agricultural Science, 16,129-136.

Raj, J.K., 2009. Geomorphology. In: Hutchison, C.S., & Tan, D.N.K. (Eds.), Geology of Peninsular Malaysia. University of Malaya & Geological Society of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 5-29.

Raj, J.K., 2018. Physical characterization of a deep weathering profile over rhyolite in humid tropical Peninsular Malaysia. Geotech. & Geol. Engineering, 36, 3793-3809.

Raj, J.K., 2022. Why failures occur at soil cuts & natural ground slopes in granitic bedrock areas of Malaysia. Presentation, Geol. Soc. Malaysia & Inst. Geol. Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, July 20, 2022.

Ruxton, B.P., & Berry, L, 1957. The weathering of granite and associated erosional features in Hong Kong. Bull. Geol. Soc. America, 68, 1263-1292.

Tandarich, J.P., Darmody, R.G., Follmer, L.R., & Johnson, D.L., 2002. Historical development of soil and weathering profile concepts from Europe to the United States of America. J. Soil Science of America, 66, 335-346.

Terzaghi, K., & Peck, R.B., 1948. Soil mechanics in engineering practice. John Wiley and Son Inc., Hoboken. 566 p.

Wentworth, C.K., 1922. A scale for grade and class terms for clastic sediments. J. Geology, 30, 377-392.

 

Manuscript received 26 July 2022;

Received in revised form 1 December 2022;

Accepted 8 December 2022

Available online 30 December 2022

 

0126-5539; 2682-7549 / Published by the Geological Society of Malaysia.

© 2022 by the Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License 4.0

 

DOI : https://doi.org/10.7186/wg483202202