Kinabalu Park Kinabalu Plateu Kinabalu Water Falls and Mount Kinabalu

Geological mapping in the Kinabalu Park revealed the presence of ophiolite associations at Menggis. The rocks are well exposed along Sg. Kepuakan and Sg. Kikulat. The ophiolite associations, consists of red mudstone, red chert, turbidite and peridotite, which formed part of the Sabah ophiolitic complex . These rock types are separated from each other by thrust faults, which represent an unconformity. The peridotite represent the ancient oceanic crust. Collision between oceanic plate and continental crust near the subduction zone is believed to have formed the thrust faults.

Mount Kinabalu

The ophiolitic rocks were scraped off by the collision and faulting events. The Menggis ophiolite has a high degree of scientific value. This particular rock is very rare in Malaysia and only found in Borneo Island especially in Sabah, and Menggis is the only location of ophiolitic rocks in Kinabalu Park. The scientific value and rarity of the ophiolite associations in Menggis is one of the geological heritages of Kinabalu Park that can enhance geotourism.

Geotourism is a georesource based special activity to explore, appreciate and learn about the beauty of nature focused on geological experience. Geotourism involves visiting geosites, a single or group of geological sites in the field, which has a high degree of heritage, scientific, aesthetic and/or recreation value. Geosites are identified and developed as special destinations for visitors. Most of the geosites for geotourism activities in Kinabalu Park are located along the trail and the main road surrounding the Kinabalu Park Headquarters, Timpohon Gate - Panar Laban trail, Panar Laban and the Kinabalu Plateau area. These selected locations consist of more than one geosites. Around the Kinabalu Park Headquarter the geosites include Kinabalu Parks Wood Fossil, Tenompok Interbeded Sediment, Liwagu Fault Zone, Liwagu Fault Block and the Liwagu Cataclastic Unit.

Kinabalu Water Falls

At the Timpohon Gate - Panar Laban trail, geosites such as the Timpohon Gate Sedimentary Rock, Carson Fall, LayangLayang Peridotite, Mempening Metamorphic Rock and Villosa Porphiritic Granodiorite have been identified. In the Panar Laban area, the geosites include the Laban Rata Til Deposits and Gunting Lagadan Roche Moutonnee. Geosites identified in the Kinabalu Plateau area are Lows Peak, Lows Cirque, St. John U Gully, Western Plateau Hanging Valley, Lows Gully, South Peak Dyke, Ugly Sister Xenolith and Sayat-Sayat Fault. Each geosites has its own geological history and this information contributes
to the overall study of geological evolution in the Kinabalu Park area. Several basic infrastructures such as trails, signboards and guide maps have been prepared and produced to enhance geotourism activity in the Kinabalu Park area.

Geological conservation is an initiative to maintain physical natural resources which have intrinsic, heritage, aesthetic or recreational values to be admired by the present and future generations. Meanwhile geotourism is a special tourism activity that is being developed from the geological conservation efforts for the nature to be experienced and learned based on its geological resources. Apart from that, both activities are potential to expand geoscience information collectively by revaluating the existing and new geological resources. Hence, in
order to develop the geological conservation and implementation of geotourism more systematically, specific frameworks are presented as a guideline.

Both frameworks have similarity because they intersect in terms of approaches. The framework of geological
conservation consists of three major stages namely inventory, classification and utilization while the framework of tourism geology covers inventory, evolution and utilization. Both frameworks can strengthened each other by establishing conservation plan and geotourism plan.


Kinabalu Park area Kinabalu Plateu, Kinabalu Water Falls and Mount Kinabalu