North Palawan Block

Last updated
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park marker describing the geologic history of Palawan Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park geologic marker.jpg
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park marker describing the geologic history of Palawan

North Palawan Block is a microcontinental block situated in the western Philippines and the southern tip of the Manila Trench. The North Palawan block is considered to form the northeastern portion of a much larger area of block faulted and foundered pre-Tertiary continental material which extends throughout the southern part of the South China Sea Basin and includes the Spratly Islands and the Dangerous Grounds area off Borneo (Hamilton, 1979). The evidence for the continental composition of the crust of this area is substantial and has been reviewed by Hamilton (1979) and Taylor & Hayes (1980) among others. [1]

Contents

Geology

The geology of the North Palawan Block includes terrane found on four islands: North Palawan, Romblon Island Group, Northeast Mindoro and Buruanga Peninsula. The stratigraphy found on Northern Palawan starts with the Middle Permian to Late Permian Bacuit Formation, , a sequence of sandstone, altered tuff, calcareous sandstone, chert, and slate. It forms the base of the Malampaya Sound Group. Overlying is the Minilog Limestone, Liminangkong Formation, Late Triassic to Late Jurassic Coron Formation, which usually forms towering pinnacles, the Guinlo Formation, Paly Serpentinite, Caramay Schist, Conception Phyllite, Boayan Formation, Maytiguid Limestone, Late Oligocene-Early Miocene St. Paul Limestone, famous for the Underground River, the Kapoas Granite, Piedras Andesite, and then the Pliocene-Pleistocene Manguao Basalt. [2]

The Romblon Island Group stratigraphic column starts with the Paleozoic Romblon Metamorphic Complex, overlain by the Carabao Sandstone, Pacul Limestone, Sibuyan Ophiolitic Complex, Tablas Volcanic Complex, Calatrava Quartz Diorite, Bailan Limestone, Binoog Formation, Anahao Formation, Banton Volcanic Complex, and the Late Pliocene Peliw Formation. [2] :266–267,251–252

The Southwest Mindoro stratigraphic column starts with the Middle Jurassic-Early Jurassic Mansalay Formation, followed by the Agbahang Conglomerate, Caguray Formation, Bugtong Formation, Napisian Formation and Tangon Formation, Pocanil Formation, Punso Conglomerate, Famnoan Formation, Balanga Formation, and the Pleistocene Oreng Formation. [2] :204,231–232

The Buruanga Peninsula stratigraphic column starts with the Late Paleozoic Buruanga Metamorphic Complex, Patria Quartz Diorite, Fragante Formation, and the Pliocene-Pleistocene Libertad Formation. [2] :65–66,167

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Texas</span> Overview of the geology of the U.S. state of Texas

Texas contains a wide variety of geologic settings. The state's stratigraphy has been largely influenced by marine transgressive-regressive cycles during the Phanerozoic, with a lesser but still significant contribution from late Cenozoic tectonic activity, as well as the remnants of a Paleozoic mountain range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Bangladesh</span>

The Geology of Bangladesh is affected by the country's location, as Bangladesh is mainly a riverine country. It is the eastern two-thirds of the Ganges and Brahmaputra river delta plain stretching to the north from the Bay of Bengal. There are two small areas of slightly higher land in the north-centre and north-west composed of old alluvium called the Madhupur Tract and the Barind Tract, and steep, folded, hill ranges of older (Tertiary) rocks along the eastern border.

Geologically the Australian state of New South Wales consists of seven main regions: Lachlan Fold Belt, the Hunter-Bowen Orogeny or New England Orogen (NEO), the Delamerian Orogeny, the Clarence Moreton Basin, the Great Artesian Basin, the Sydney Basin, and the Murray Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Taiwan</span>

The island of Taiwan was formed approximately 4 to 5 million years ago at a convergent boundary between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. In a boundary running the length of the island and continuing southwards, the Eurasian Plate is sliding under the Philippine Sea Plate. In the northeast of the island, the Philippine Sea Plate slides under the Eurasian Plate. Most of the island comprises a huge fault block tilted to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Germany</span> Overview of the geology of Germany

The geology of Germany is heavily influenced by several phases of orogeny in the Paleozoic and the Cenozoic, by sedimentation in shelf seas and epicontinental seas and on plains in the Permian and Mesozoic as well as by the Quaternary glaciations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Lebanon</span>

The geology of Lebanon remains poorly studied prior to the Jurassic. The country is heavily dominated by limestone, sandstone, other sedimentary rocks, and basalt, defined by its tectonic history. In Lebanon, 70% of exposed rocks are limestone karst.

The Mindoro block is a microcontinental block located in the Philippine Mobile Belt and the east side of North Palawan Block. It has comprises a metamorphic basement of unknown but probably pre-late cretaceous age, overlain locally by upper cretaceous basalts, and more regionally succeeded by a probable upper eocene sequence of basinal clastic rocks, plus local basalt intercalations and carbonates. These rocks are exposed over a broad area of northern and west-central Mindoro as well as on the Lubang Islands in Verde Island Passage. The Mindoro block is bounded on the west by the Mindoro Suture Zone, and on the north by the Verde Passage Suture, which separates it from the Zambales Ophiolite terrane of Luzon. The eastern terrane boundary may be the East Mindoro Fault Zone, a probable transcurrent boundary that has not yet been studied, but which displays evidence of recent activity. Late Miocene and Pliocene basinal clastic strata lie east of this fault zone, but it is not known if subjacent rocks are related to rocks of the Mindoro block, or if they are part of a third terrane on Mindoro.

Ilocos-Central Luzon Basin is a sedimentary basin and stratigraphic formation in the Ilocos Region and Central Luzon Region, Philippines. It is one of the 16 major sedimentary basins in the country and stretches from the vicinity of the Manila metropolitan area in the south to Ilocos Norte in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Cambodia</span>

The geology of Cambodia is the study of the nation's rocks, minerals, water and landforms. Cambodia's ancient geologic history in the Precambrian is poorly understood. The region experienced tectonic activity and low-grade metamorphic rock formation throughout the Paleozoic, which a shift to marine conditions and fossil formation during the Permian and through much of the Mesozoic. Few rocks remain from the Cenozoic. Cambodia has comparatively few natural resources, although there is bauxite formed from laterite weathering, as well as phosphorite, iron, gems, limestone and other materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Bosnia and Herzegovina</span>

The geology of Bosnia & Herzegovina is the study of rocks, minerals, water, landforms and geologic history in the country. The oldest rocks exposed at or near the surface date to the Paleozoic and the Precambrian geologic history of the region remains poorly understood. Complex assemblages of flysch, ophiolite, mélange and igneous plutons together with thick sedimentary units are a defining characteristic of the Dinaric Alps, also known as the Dinaride Mountains, which dominate much of the country's landscape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Utah</span>

The geology of Utah, in the western United States, includes rocks formed at the edge of the proto-North American continent during the Precambrian. A shallow marine sedimentary environment covered the region for much of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, followed by dryland conditions, volcanism, and the formation of the basin and range terrain in the Cenozoic.

The geology of Alaska includes Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks formed in offshore terranes and added to the western margin of North America from the Paleozoic through modern times. The region was submerged for much of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic and formed extensive oil and gas reserves due to tectonic activity in the Arctic Ocean. Alaska was largely ice free during the Pleistocene, allowing humans to migrate into the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of South Korea</span>

The geology of South Korea includes rocks dating to the Archean and two large massifs of metamorphic rock as the crystalline basement, overlain by thick sedimentary sequences, younger metamorphic rocks and volcanic deposits. Despite the country's small size, its geology is diverse, containing rocks formed during the Precambrian to Cenozoic eras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Afghanistan</span>

The geology of Afghanistan includes nearly one billion year old rocks from the Precambrian. The region experienced widespread marine transgressions and deposition during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, that continued into the Cenozoic with the uplift of the Hindu Kush mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Uzbekistan</span> Geology of Uzbekistan, an west Asian nation

The geology of Uzbekistan consists of two microcontinents and the remnants of oceanic crust, which fused together into a tectonically complex but resource rich land mass during the Paleozoic, before becoming draped in thick, primarily marine sedimentary units.

The geology of Thailand includes deep crystalline metamorphic basement rocks, overlain by extensive sandstone, limestone, turbidites and some volcanic rocks. The region experienced complicated tectonics during the Paleozoic, long-running shallow water conditions and then renewed uplift and erosion in the past several million years ago.

The geology of Greece is highly structurally complex due to its position at the junction between the European and African tectonic plates.

The geology of Israel includes igneous and metamorphic crystalline basement rocks from the Precambrian overlain by a lengthy sequence of sedimentary rocks extending up to the Pleistocene and overlain with alluvium, sand dunes and playa deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology and geological history of California</span> Description of the geology of California

The geology of California is highly complex, with numerous mountain ranges, substantial faulting and tectonic activity, rich natural resources and a history of both ancient and comparatively recent intense geological activity. The area formed as a series of small island arcs, deep-ocean sediments and mafic oceanic crust accreted to the western edge of North America, producing a series of deep basins and high mountain ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryukyu Arc</span> Island arc between Kyushu and Taiwan

The Ryukyu Arc is an island arc which extends from the south of Kyushu along the Ryukyu Islands to the northeast of Taiwan, spanning about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi). It is located along a section of the convergent plate boundary where the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting northwestward beneath the Eurasian Plate along the Ryukyu Trench. The arc has an overall northeast to southwest trend and is located northwest of the Pacific Ocean and southeast of the East China Sea. It runs parallel to the Okinawa Trough, an active volcanic arc, and the Ryukyu Trench. The Ryukyu Arc, based on its geomorphology, can be segmented from north to south into Northern Ryukyu, Central Ryukyu, and Southern Ryukyu; the Tokara Strait separates Northern Ryukyu and Central Ryukyu at about 130˚E while the Kerama Gap separates Central Ryukyu and Southern Ryukyu at about 127 ˚E. The geological units of the arc include igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, ranging from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic in age.

References

  1. Holloway, N (December 1981). "Abstract" (PDF). www.gsm.org.my.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pena, Rolando (2008). Lexicon of Philippine Stratigraphy 2008. Mandaluyong City: The Geological Society of the Philippines, Inc. pp. 26–27, 99, 201–202, 288–289, 365. ISBN   9789719423119.