Structural evolution of Mesozoic Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Field evidence from Upper Palaeozoic and Mesozoic strata exposed in Peninsular Malaysia demonstrates that the structural style, degree and orientation of folding, axial-plane cleavage, and faulting in the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of the central basin are remarkably similar. In contrast, the Upper Palaeozoic strata, especially the Carboniferous rocks exposed in the eastern part of the peninsula, show multiple phase folding and regional metamorphism unlike anything seen in the Mesozoic rocks. These observations demonstrate that two important compressional events affected Peninsular Malaysia, one in Late Permian times and the other in the mid- to late Cretaceous. The Late Palaeozoic compressional event was a major orogenic mountain building phase with associated emplacement of major Permo–Triassic granite plutons that form the eastern and main ranges. No indications were found of the widely reported Triassic orogenic compression. The palaeotectonic and palaeogeographical implications of these discoveries are important for interpreting the evolution of eastern Gondwana and Tethys. The Raub–Bentong line was an important fault zone active during the Mesozoic but does not appear to have been a major tectonic suture since the Late Palaeozoic. We postulate that the Permo–Triassic granites of the eastern belt and those presently exposed in the main range were originally about 30–50 km apart, and that Triassic and Jurassic crustal attenuation and subsidence led to the separation of these two granitic belts by more than 100 km.

Subsidence and uplift by slab-related mantle dynamics: a driving mechanism for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic evolution of continental SE Asia?

“…9), and are relatively undeformed (Harbury et al 1990). These are predominantly fluvial, alluvial and lacustrine facies with lagoonal sandstones, mudstones and limestones also present (Racey & Goodall 2009) (Fig.…”

“…The Khorat Group in NE Thailand is (1996) note that on seismic data there is little evidence for faultcontrolled accommodation during deposition and that the Khorat Group formations have a mainly 'layercake' appearance. Gentle folding of Mesozoic strata in the Malay Peninsula has been interpreted as evidence for a phase of uplift in the mid -Late Cretaceous (Harbury et al 1990). Upper JurassicLower Cretaceous red bed sequences typically unconformably overlie older, more intensely deformed metasedimentary rocks (Gobbett & Hutchison 1973;Harbury et al 1990).…”

“…Gentle folding of Mesozoic strata in the Malay Peninsula has been interpreted as evidence for a phase of uplift in the mid -Late Cretaceous (Harbury et al 1990). Upper JurassicLower Cretaceous red bed sequences typically unconformably overlie older, more intensely deformed metasedimentary rocks (Gobbett & Hutchison 1973;Harbury et al 1990).…”

Higher-resolution biostratigraphy for the Kinta Limestone and an implication for continuous sedimentation in the Paleo-Tethys, Western Belt of Peninsular Malaysia

“…Some of them even showed diverse age ranges for groups of microfossils in a single section (Metcalfe, 2002), which may indicate how complex it was to establish constrained paleontological dating of the sedimentary successions let alone understand the depositional history of the succession. The impact of the tectonothermal effects in the late Permian and Early to middle Cretaceous (Harbury et al, 1990) has also affected the reliability of the aragonitic, calcitic, and siliceous microfossils for dating and understanding the depositional history in the basin. Thus, the existing paleontological dating has been thwarted by poor preservation and crystallization of the microfossils, which in turn hindered identification of taxa to the species level.…”

Airborne laser scanning : for forested landslides investigation in temperate and tropical invironments

“…The Late Palaeozoic compressional event was a major orogenic mountain building phase with associated emplacement of major Permo-Triassic granite plutons that form the eastern and main ranges (Harbury et al, 1990). The current tectonic situation is related to the subduction of the Australian plate under the Sunda plate (with movement of about 34 mm/year), producing large earthquakes along the Sumatran subduction zone and the Sumatran transform fault (Vigny et al, 2005;Yan et al, 2006).…”