PETROGRAPHIC FEATURES AND MODELLING OF SOME WATERFALL ROCKS IN KENYIR LAKE, TERENGGANU: A MICROSCOPIC PERSPECTIVE APPROACH IN SUSTAINABLE GEOTOURISM

Abstract

Waterfalls around Kenyir Lake, Terengganu, naturally serve as an iconic symbol of amazing rock bounded formation amidst the wilderness, which stores a hidden story for millions of years. The waterfalls feeding Kenyir Lake have become tourists’ main attractions since they are located separately on different islands. There are three naturally picturesque waterfalls worth sight-seeing in the study area, namely Sungai Buweh Waterfall, Lasir Waterfall and Saok Waterfall, which are made up of granitic rock bodies that emerged in the Eastern Belt during the Late Triassic. To date, the waterfall landscape displayed in any area concerning geotourism focuses more on outcrop architecture and geomorphological features but with limited accessibility to the rock records. Thus, this study is carried out to evaluate the geo-heritage features of the waterfall landscape and its rock-forming minerals. Four rock samples were carefully collected from the waterfalls and subsequently prepared for optical thin section petrography analysis using a polarised light microscope. The petrographic analysis will determine the precise mineral compositions, fabrics and microstructures under plane polarised light (PPL) and cross-polarised light (XPL) at different magnifications. In addition, petrographic modelling was constructed using integrated software Autodesk 3ds Max and Debrismaker 2.0 from optical microscopic data to help identify a microscopic mineral in detail so that the mineral becomes clear to both geologists and the public at large. Generally, this modelling will enlighten the public on the material embedded in the rocks, illustrate the importance of learning about a rock-forming mineral and bring this futuristic idea with Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG). Besides making geology an interesting field for young geologists and the public, this mineral affirms the beautiful scenery of waterfalls for tourism, thereby connecting the interrelationship between geotourism and nature. In this regard, the current study was carried out to evaluate the geo heritage features and use an interactive learning platform for interpreting rock-forming minerals and their function towards sustainable geo-tourism.