Comparative geochemistry of the sedimentary and metasedimentary clastic rocks of the Kuantan area, Pahang, Malaysia

In Northeast Pahang and South Terengganu, the Kuantan Group and Taweh beds rocks are redefined in terms of stratigraphic nomenclature. The Kuantan Group consists of Charu Formation, Panching Limestone and Sagor Formation. Charu Formation which is the oldest sequence (Lower Carboniferous), is subdivided into 3 units with a status of member for each, i.e. Kolek Member, Cheneh Member and Lepar Member. Cheneh Member is synonym of Sg Perlis beds. In the Berkelah area, the lower and metamorphosed part of the Lepar Member is assigned a status of bed, i.e. Berkelah Bed. The unmetamorphosed unit in the Lepar Hilir area is named as Lepar Hilir Bed. The Taweh beds (Tan, 1972) are upgraded to the status of formation and is considered as of Triassic age. Factor Analysis, as a statistical technique, is used to discriminate the above rock units based on their geochemical variables such as major elements concentrations. In the method, a large number of correlable variables (concentrations) are reduced into a small number ofuncorrelable variables (factors). The elements which characterise the factors are selected. Based on this discrimination study, the lithostratigraphic units are defined as below: Charu Formation is characterised by the predominance of ~O, Al20 a and Fe20 a in the shales of Kolek Member, by feldspathic and MgO-rich mudstones of Berkelah Bed and Mg-Ca rich mudstones of Lepar Hilir Bed; Sagor Formation is dominated by potassic shales and subarkose, both of which are poor in Fe20 a and Al20 gTaweh Formation is composed of shales rich in Si02 and sandstones rich in ferromagnesian elements.