Bulletin of the Geological Society of Malaysia, Volume 77, May 2024, pp. 47 – 57
Khor Wei Chung1, Junaidi Asis1,*, Sanudin Tahir2, Baba Musta1, Kawi Bidin1, Rezal Rahmat3,4, Hadianshah Saleh1
1 Faculty of Science & Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
2 Lorong Taman Indah Permai 22, Taman Indah Permai, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
3 Earth System Sciences, Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP), Academia Sinica & College of Earth Sciences, National Central University, 128, Sec. 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
4 Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, 128, Sec. 2, Academia Road, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
* Corresponding author email address: junaidi@ums.edu.my
Abstract: The Tanjong Formation of Imbak Canyon, Sabah is the Early Miocene aged shallow marine unit that crops out in the Tongod district. Tanjong Formation has previously been interpreted to have been deposited in a shallow marine environment without tidal influence. This paper reinterpreted the depositional environment with emphasis on tidal deposits through newly logged sections encountered during 2019 Imbak Canyon Expedition. Proximity-driven strike orientation correlations were employed to interrelate the logged geological sections. The eight facies recognized are 1) Mudstone Facies (M), 2) Lenticular Facies (LF), 3) Wavy Facies (WF), 4) Flaser Facies (FF), 5) Hummocky Cross-Bedded Sandstone Facies (HCS), 6) Swaley Cross-Bedded Sandstone Facies (SCS), 7) Planar Cross-Bedded Sandstone Facies (PCS), and 8) Structureless Sandstone Facies (SS). Three interpreted facies associations deduced are 1) intertidal deposits, 2) middle to lower shoreface, and 3) offshore deposits. We conclude that Tanjong Formation was deposited in a macrotidal open coast setting with significant tidal imprint signatures. The identification of tidal influence within a wave-dominated system is an infrequent occurrence, yet it holds significant potential for enhancing the refinement of shallow marine models.
Keywords: Tidal flats, tidal deposits, sedimentology, facies analysis, facies association, Tanjong Formation
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Manuscript received 6 September 2023;
Received in revised form 21 November 2023;
Accepted 13 December 2023
Available online 30 May 2024
https://doi.org/10.7186/bgsm77202406
0126-6187; 2637-109X / Published by the Geological Society of Malaysia.
© 2024 by the Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License 4.0.
