Facies analysis of the Late Eocene deep-marine middle- to outer-fan sequence of the Crocker Formation inTenom District, Sabah, Malaysia

702001-101922-1744-B
Author : Muhd Nur Ismail Abdul Rahman, Hafeez Jeofry, Muhammad Abdullah, Ismail Abd Rahim, Sanudin Hj.Tahir
Publication : Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia
Page : 47 - 62
Volume Number : 72
Year : 2021
DOI : https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm72202105

Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 72, November 2021, pp. 47 – 62

Facies analysis of the Late Eocene deep-marine middle- to outer-fan sequence of the Crocker Formation in Tenom District, Sabah, Malaysia

Muhd Nur Ismail Abdul Rahman1,*, Hafeez Jeofry1,2, Muhammad Abdullah3, Ismail Abd Rahim4, Sanudin Hj.Tahir4

1 Paleoceanography Research Group (PoRIG), Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
2 Institute of Oceanography and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
3 Mineral and Geoscience Department, Jalan IM 4/1, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Pahang, 25604 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
4 Geology Programme, Faculty of Science and Natural Resources Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
* Corresponding author email address: nur.ismail@umt.edu.my

Abstract: The Crocker Formation, Late Eocene to Middle Miocene in age, was deposited in a deep-marine environment by a turbidity current. Most of the facies identified in the field are related to the sedimentary bed-form structures belonging to Bouma sequences. These prominently include unit divisions such as Ta referring to grading sand, Tb for parallel laminae, Tc for cross laminae, Td for mud laminae, and Te referring to hemipelagic mud. Five facies have adequately been identified using Bouma sequence implications, namely Facies 1 (F1: Ta-Tb layers), Facies 2 (F2: Ta-Te layers), Facies 3 (F3: Tb-Te layers), Facies 4 (F4: Tb / Tc-Te layers), and Facies 5 (F5: Td-Te layers). Based on the Crocker Formation facies analysis, three distinct groups of facies associations were recognised: Deep-Marine Channel-Lobe Association (Type A1), Deep-Marine Channel-Levee Association (Type A2), and Distal Lobe Association. These facies associations precisely revealed that the Crocker Formation’s depositional environments were likely deposited in the middle-fan with associated outer-fan settings.

Keywords: Submarine fan, turbidite, Tenom, facies analysis, Late Eocene

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm72202105