General geology and petrology of volcanic rock at Batang Merbau, Tanah Merah, Kelantan

Batang Merbau was the main focus for this study which located in Tanah Merah area at the northeastern part of Kelantan. The study area covered 5km x5km with dimension 25km² situated from the latitude of 5°46'39N until 5°49'22.5N and longitude starts from 102°2'25.1E until 102°5'7.34 The objectives of this study are to updated and produce a geological map of the study area with scale of 1:25,000 and to identify types of volcanic rock based on texture in the study area. Lithology found in the study area is biotite granite porphyry, pyroclastic breccia, and quartz mica schist. The methodology used in this study divided into two parts which is field studies includes geological mapping and laboratory work which is petrography studies. In petrography studies, the hand specimen and thin section of rock samples was analyzed. There is no obvious structural geology in the study area. Negative lineament and joint analysis indicates the major forces are northeast-southwest direction. Granite in study area has texture porphyry which orthoclase phenocryst embedded by phaneritic groundmass of plagioclase, quartz and also biotite. Schist shows foliation with andulatory characteristic of quartz crystal. The parallel alignment of platy minerals like muscovite was due to regional metamorphism. Volcanic rock found in the study area is pyroclastic breccia with porphyritic texture. The quartz phenocryst was embedded by groundmass of fine grain matrix. The matrix mostly was oxidized into iron. Quartz has characteristic of numerous embayment and amygdules. Composition of pyroclastic breccia in the study area indicates it has ryholite character. Iron ore in the study area can be economic to mine for mineral resources.