Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) radiolarians from Peninsular Malaysia and their significance

Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) radiolarians are widespread in Peninsular Malaysia especially in the Western Belt. The radiolarians were recorded in the Kubang Pasu Formation of Kedah and Perlis, Kenny Hill Formation, Selangor, Upper Paleozoic rocks from Nenering, north Perak and the chert block in Langkap, Negeri Sembilan. The radiolarians retrieved from the Kubang Pasu and Kenny Hill Formations exhibit very low specific diversity. The chert from Nenering and Langkap yielded moderate diversity (20 species) and high specific diversity (30 species), respectively. The lithologic association of the Kubang Pasu and Kenny Hill Formations comprises chert overlain by turbiditic sandstone and shale, which indicates the depositional environment was in a basin close to a continental margin. The lithologic association of chert from Langkap consists of interbedded chert and shale, which is indicative of basinal environment. The widespread distribution of chert is related to high radiolarian productivity during the Tournaisian. The Tournaisian is also known as a hypersiliceous age. The high productivity of radiolarians was related to upwelling cold dense bottom water that was very rich in siliceous material, oxygen, and nutrients. This bottom current was developed at a glacial north-Gondwanan area and flowed southwards. The chert also can be used as a marker bed for Tournaisian age and is a very important rock unit to define the base of the Kubang Pasu Formation. Abstrak: Radiolaria berusia Karbon Awal (Tournaisian) tertabur secara meluas di Semenanjung Malaysia terutama di Jalur Barat. Radiolaria dilaporkan daripada Formasi Kubang Pasu, Kedah dan Perlis, Formasi Kenny Hill, Selangor, batuan Paleozoic Atas dari Nenering, Perak utara dan dari blok rijang di Langkap, Negeri Sembilan. Radiolaria yang diperolehi dari Formasi Kubang Pasu dan Kenny Hill menunjukkan kepelbagaian spesies yang terlalu rendah. Rijang dari Nenering menghasilkan kepelbagaian menengah (20 spesies) dan rijang dari Langkap menghasilkan kepelbagaian tinggi (30 spesies). Sekutuan litologi dalam Formasi Kubang Pasu dan Kenny Hill terdiri daripada rijang yang ditindih oleh batu pasir turbidit dan syal mencadangkan sekitaran pengendapan dalam lembangan berhampiran dengan pinggir benua. Sekutuan litologi rijang dari Langkap terdiri daripada selang lapis rijang dan syal yang menunjukkan sekitaran lembangan. Taburan rijang yang meluas berkait dengan produktiviti radiolaria pada masa Tournaisian. Tournaisian dikenali sebagai zaman hypersiliceous. Produktiviti radiolaria yang tinggi mempunyai hubungkait dengan arus timbul air bawah laut yang sejuk dan padat yang kaya dengan bahan silika, oksigen dan bahan nutrien. Arus bawah laut terbentuk di kawasan glasier utara Gondwana dan mengalir kearah selatan. Rijang ini boleh juga digunakan sebagai lapisan penanda masa Tournaisian dan sebagai unit batuan rijang sangat penting dalam menentukan sempadan bawah Formasi Kubang Pasu.

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