Sains Malaysiana 50(1)(2021): 9-21

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2021-5001-02

Petrology and Geochemical Features of Semporna Volcanic Rocks, South-east Sabah, Malaysia

(Ciri Petrologi dan Geokimia Batuan Volkano Semporna, Tenggara Sabah, Malaysia)

ELVAENE JAMES^1,2*, AZMAN ABDUL GHANI², OLUWATOYIN O. AKINOLA³ & JUNAIDI ASIS⁴

¹Department of Geoscience, Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 17600 Jeli, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia

²Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

³Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

⁴Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, University Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Received: 29 February 2020/Accepted: 3 July 2020

Abstract

The volcanic rocks in Semporna Peninsula, Sabah, Malaysia forms parts of the Miocene subjected slab during the Miocene-Pliocene orogeny. This study presents new petrographic and geochemical data of volcanic rocks in Semporna area. The volcanic rocks range in composition from basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite to rhyolite, with most of the volcanic shows calc-alkaline affinity with a minor tholeiitic feature. The trace elements shows enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) suggesting that the volcanic rocks have similar geochemical patterns and might come from similar magma source. The  petrochemical  data  suggests  that volcanic rocks of Semporna shows characteristic of subduction zone (negative Nb, Ta, and Ti). Decreasing magnitude of Europium anomalies from intermediate to acid lavas suggests an important role of plagioclase in the fractional crystallization. Negative Ce anomaly in part of Semporna volcanic rocks suggest that those volcanic rocks may related with emergence of oxygenated deep-sea environment. Tectonic diagrams showed that the Semporna volcanic rocks were formed in an island arc setting.

Keywords: Calc-alkaline; island arc; Semporna; subduction; volcanic rocks

Abstrak

Batuan volkano Semporna di Semenanjung Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia dihasilkan oleh sebahagian daripada bidur subduksi Miosen semasa orogeni Miosen-Pliosen. Kajian ini membentangkan penemuan baru mengenai data petrografi dan geokimia batuan volkano Semporna daripada batuan pertengahan hingga asid di Semporna. Batuan volkano terdiri daripada andesit basalt, andesit, dasit dan riolit serta semua batuan menunjukkan dominasi kalkalkali dengan sebahagian kecil menunjukkan ciri tholeitik. Unsur-unsur surih menunjukkan pengayaan Unsur Litofil Ion Besar (LILE) dan Unsur Nadir Bumi Ringan (LREE) mencadangkan batuan volkano Semporna mempunyai corak geokimia yang sama serta kemungkinan datang daripada sumber magma yang serupa. Data petrokimia mencadangkan bahawa batuan volkano Semporna menunjukkan ciri-ciri zon benam (anomali Nb, Ta dan Ti negatif). Penurunan anomali Europium daripada lava pertengahan hingga lava berasid menunjukkan peranan penting plagioklas dalam penghabluran berperingkat magma yang berasal daripada mantel. Penurunan Ce anomali pada sebahagian batuan volkano Semporna mencadangkan batuan tersebut mungkin berkaitan dengan kemunculan persekitaran laut dalam yang beroksigen. Rajah tektonik menunjukkan bahawa batuan volkano Semporna terbentuk dalam sekitaran arka kepulauan. 

Kata kunci: Arka kepulauan; batuan volkano; benam; kalkalkali; Semporna

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*Corresponding author; email: Elvaene_anne@yahoo.com