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An Outline of the Tertiary Geology of Burma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2009

L. Dudley Stamp
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Extract

For more than a quarter of a century the Tertiary geology of Burma has been the subject of investigation from the point of view of the petroleum resources of the country. A vast amount of detailed information must be stored up in the private files of the various oil companies operating in Burma, and it is a source of continual regret to the geologist that at least some of this information—much of which has great scientific but little commercial value—cannot be made public. Although there exists Dr. Noetling's important but misleading monograph on the supposed “Miocene Fauna of Burma”, published in the Palæontographia Indica, 1901, it is only within the last decade that the Tertiary stratigraphy has been seriously considered from a palæontological standpoint, and for this progress the officers of the Geological Survey of India are almost entirely responsible. In this direction immensely valuable results have already been obtained, though the study is scarcely more than in its infancy.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 59 , Issue 11 , November 1922 , pp. 481 - 501
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1922

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References

page 481 note 1 Stamp, , Geol. Mag., Vol. LVIII, 1921, pp. 108–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page 482 note 1 La, Touche, “ Geology of the Northern Shan States”: Mem. Geol. Surv. India, vol. xxxix, pt. ii, 1913; Middlemiss (part of Southern Shan States), Gen. Rep. Geol. Surv. India for 1899–1900.Google Scholar

page 482 note 2 La, Touche and Simpson, , Rec. Geol. Surv. India, vol. xxxiii, pt. ii, 1906, pp. 117 et seq.Google Scholar

page 482 note 3 Annandale, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. 1, pt. iii, 1919, pp. 50–64.Google Scholar

page 482 note 4 Unpublished information. The writer has collected Jurassic plants and the same conclusions as to age have been reached independently by other observers recently.Google Scholar

page 484 note 1 Axial Group, Maii Group, and part of the Negrais Group of Theobald, Mem. G.S.I., vol. x, pt. ii, 1874. This paper of Theobald on the “Geology of Pegu”, or Lower Burma, laid the real foundation of the study of the geology of Burma, and is still largely followed.Google Scholar

page 484 note 2 Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxiv, 1906, p. 134.Google Scholar

page 484 note 3 Mem. G.S.I., vol. x, 1874, p. 123 (311).Google Scholar

page 484 note 4 Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxv, pt. ii, 1907, p. 119.Google Scholar

page 485 note 1 Cotter, , “ The Geotectonics of the Tertiary Irrawaddy Basin”: Journ. and Proc. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, N.S., vol. xiv, 1918, pp. 409– 20, especially p. 412; Vredenburg, Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iii, 1921, p. 302.Google Scholar

page 485 note 2 Pascoe, , “ The Oil Fields of Burma”: Mem. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. i, 1912, pp. 179– 99; Pascoe, “ Oil Occurrences in Assam and Bengal”: Mem. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. ii, 1914.Google Scholar

page 486 note 1 Cotter, , Journ. and Proc. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, N.S., vol. xiv, 1918, p. 414.Google Scholar

page 486 note 2 Stamp, , GEOL. MAG., Vol. LVIII, 1921, p. 109.Google Scholar

page 486 note 3 For details see Stamp, , “ The Geology of Part of the Pondaung Range, Burma”, Trans. Mining and Geol. Inst. India, vol. xvii, 1922.Google Scholar

page 486 note 4 Geol. Surv. India, 1 in. map, Sheet 84K./14, geologically coloured.Google Scholar

page 487 note 1 Vredenburg, , Rec. G. S. I., vol. liii, 1921 (1922), p. 365.Google Scholar

page 487 note 2 Most of the places mentioned in the following account will be found on the maps, figs. 4 and 5.Google Scholar

page 487 note 3 Tipper, , “ The Geology of the Andaman Islands with references to the Nicobars”: Mem. G.S.I., vol. xxxv, pt. iv, 1911.Google Scholar

page 489 note 1 Roughly the “Nummulitics” of Theobald (op. cit.), but he mistook certain limestone bands with Lepidocyclina which occur in the lower part of the Pegu for Nummulitic Limestones, and so has drawn the upper limit of the “Nummulitics” too high in several cases. Noetling (Pal. Ind., N.S., vol. i, p. 6) intended to have substituted his own terms “Bassein” and “Chin” Divisions for Theobald's “Nummulitics” and “Axials” respectively, but he made serious errors in definition which invalidates his classification (see Pascoe, , Mem. G.S.I., vol. xl, pt. i, 1912, p. 14).Google Scholar

page 489 note 2 Theobald, , op. cit., p. 102 (290); Stuart, Rec. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. 4, 1912, pp. 240–65, and pls. 22–4.Google Scholar

page 490 note 1 For details on all these points see Stamp, “Geology of Part of the Pondaung Range.”Google Scholar

page 490 note 2 Pilgrim and Cotter, Rec. G.S.I., vol. xlvii, pt. i, pp. 42–77, pls. 1–6.Google Scholar

page 490 note 3 Cotter, , “The Lamellibranchiata of the Eocene of Burma”: Palæmtohgia Indica, 1922 (in the press).Google Scholar

page 490 note 4 Cotter, , “On the Value of Nummulites as Zone-fossils, with a Description of some Burmese Species”: Rec. G.S.I., vol. xliv, pt. i, 1914.Google Scholar

page 491 note 1 The following are the more important worka dealing with the Pegu-Irrawadian:— Palaxmtological.—Noetling, “Fauna of the Miocene Beds of Burma”: Pal. Ind., N.S., vol. i, Mem. 3, 1901Google Scholar. Noetling's stratigraphical classification and his “zones” should be entirely ignored and no attempt should be made to use this memoir without reference to Vredenburg's “Results of a Revision of some portions of Dr. Noetling's Second Monograph of the Tertiary Fauna of Burma”: Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iii, 1920, pp. 224–302Google Scholar. Other fossils have been described by Dalton (some Eocene), Q.J.G.S., vol. lxiv, 1908, pp. 604–44Google Scholar, but the stratigraphy of this paper is very unsound. Modern descriptions of certain groups of Pegu fossils by Vredenburg have appeared and are appearing in Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iv (Terebridce); vol. liii, pt. ii (Pleurotomidm, Conidce, etc.) (in progress).Google Scholar Stratigraphical.—The foundation of stratigraphical knowledge in Lower Burma was well laid by Theobald, , Mem. G.S.I., vol. x, 1874Google Scholar. A useful summary of work done prior to 1911 is given by Pascoe, “The Oil Fields of Burma”: Mem. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. i, 1912Google Scholar. Foundation for later detailed work is found in Cotter, “The Pegu-Eocene Succession in the Minbu District”:Rec. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. i, 1912Google Scholar, partly revised by Cotter and Porro in Rec. G.S.I., vol. xlv, pt. iv, 1915. The following papers are in need of revision as a result of later work: Stuart, , Rec. G.S.I., vol xli, pt. iv, 1912, pp. 240–65Google Scholar (Henzada); Stuart, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxviii, pt. iv, 1909–10, pp. 259–91 (Prome, etc.)Google Scholar. Later work of importance includes Vredenburg, op. jam. cit., Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iii, 1920, pp. 224–302, also pp. 321–37 (some rather serious errors occur in the correlation tables in the latter paper); Rau, Sethu Rama and Vredenburg, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. liii, pt. iv, 1921–2, pp. 321–42 (Singu)Google Scholar; also pp. 359–69,(“Correlation of lower beds of Pegu“), and Cotter, Rec. G.S.I., vol. liv, pt. i, 1922 (in the press)Google Scholar.

page 494 note 1 Slightly modified from Vredenburg, Rec. G.S.I., vol. liii, pt. iv, 1921–1922, pl. xxv.Google Scholar

page 494 note 2 “Marine Irrawadian” of Stuart, 1909–10; Mogaung Sands of Theobald, 1874.Google Scholar

page 494 note 3 Named after a now non-existing village from whence it was first noted by Dalton, Q.J.G.S., vol. lxiv, 1908, p. 612.Google Scholar

page 494 note 4 Dalton, , op. jam. cit., p. 612.Google Scholar

page 494 note 5 Cotter, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xli, pt. iv, 1911–1912, p. 226.Google Scholar

page 495 note 1 Stamp, , GEOL. MAG., Vol. LVIII, 1921, p. 198.Google Scholar

page 495 note 2 Stamp, , Proc. Geol. Assoc., vol. xxxii, 1921, pp. 97–8.Google Scholar

page 495 note 3 Stamp, , Abs. Proc. Geol. Soc., No. 1,075, 1921–1922, p. 6.Google Scholar

page 495 note 4 It is almost certainly continuous with Cotter's G2 bed (op. cit., 1911–1912, p. 226).Google Scholar

page 495 note 5 Vredenburg, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. liii, pt. iv, 1921–1922, pp. 359–69.Google Scholar

page 496 note 1 Cotter, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. liv, pt. i, 1922 (in the press).Google Scholar

page 496 note 2 Vredenburg, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iii, 1921, pp. 224–302; Rec. G.S.I., vol. liii, pt. iv, 1921–2, pp. 321–42.Google Scholar

page 496 note 3 Pilgrim, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xl, pt. iii, 1910, p. 197.Google Scholar

page 496 note 4 The existance of an unconformity below this stage as claimed by Stuart is very doubtful.Google Scholar

page 497 note 1 Pascoe, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxvii, pt. iii, 1908, pp. 143–6Google Scholar, but see Vredenburg, ibid., vol. li, pt. iii, 1921, pp. 262–6.

page 497 note 2 Cotter, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxvii, pt. iii, 1908, pp. 149–55Google Scholar (Taungtha Hills); Cotter, ibid., vol. xxxviii, pt. iv, 1909–10, pp. 302–7 (Yenangyat).

page 498 note 1 Dr. Pilgrim, G. E., in his revision of the vertebrate fossils of the Irrawadian of Burma (Rec. G.S.I., vol. xl, pt. iii, 1910, p. 196)Google Scholar, has confused the specimens from these two horizons. He gives them in one list and says “It seems certain, however, that from the lowest beds [sic] of the Irrawadi seriesboth Noetling and Grimes collected a distinctive vertebrate fauna which I have examined. …. ” If, however, one consults Noetling's account (Mem. G.S.I., vol. xxvii, pt. ii, 1897, especially pp. 57, 58, and 59) one finds he says “specimens are particularly common along the river bank between Yenangyoung and Nyounghla…. ”; again, “ I am absolutely sure that certain species are restricted in the neighbourhood of Yenangyaung to the lower parts of the division…. ”; then, after separating a lower “zone” of Hippotherium antelopinum and Aceratherium perimense from a higher “zone ” of Mastodon latidens and Hippopotamus irravaticus he says that the two latter almost certainly do not occur lower. Grimes (Mem. G.S.I., vol. xxviii, pt. i, 1900, pp. 30–79) separates the Irrawadian into four “zones”; from the lowest he only mentions Cervus sp., then after describing his highest “zone” as being exposed along the banks of the Irrawaddy says “It was from conglomerate beds of this zone that Mr. Crawfurd, Dr. Oldham, and in late years Dr. Noetling have obtained numerous fossil vertebrate bones…. ” (p. 64). The writer's personal experience confirms these statements.

page 498 note 2 Pilgrim, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xliii, pt. iv, 1913, pp. 264–326.Google Scholar

page 498 note 3 Or by direct comparison with France, an even earlier age is indicated.Google Scholar

page 498 note 4 Pilgrim, , Rec. G.S.I., vol. xxxiii, pt. ii, 1906, pp. 157–8.Google Scholar

page 500 note 1 Rec. G.S.I., vol. li, pt. iii, 1921, pp. 325–6.Google Scholar

page 500 note 2 Vaughan, and others, “Correlations of the Post-Cretaceous Formations in the Pacific Region.” Reprinted from special publication of Bernice P. Bishop Museum, No. 7, 1921, pp. 713–873.Google Scholar