Stone Garden, Padalarang, West Java

Hello fellas, glad to see you again. I have came back to bandung again. I thought it was a traipse because it took 8 hours from jogja to bandung by train, how lucky you were when you could sleep along a trip but I wasn't, all I can do was listening music although you would listening the same  music repeatedly, it would make you were bored surely. I rarely made a platitude with other people. Haha. When I were on the way to bandung, ari fired off some messages to me that he asked me to go to padalarang. I just know about stone garden there. Stone garden is one of tourist site in padalarang that offers rocky hill and trees. We were graduated from geological engineering, we have spent for 4 years to describe about rocks. We thought that our trip more than just a holiday. Haha. Ari and fajri took a final assignment about limestone, so they were my guider in this trip because I didn't know about limestone deeply. Haha. honestly, Students rarely took about limestone as their final assignment because it's more complicated than sandstone. But, nothing impossible as long as you want to learn, like people said that practice makes perfect. Haha. I arrived in bandung at 5 am, we have made an appointment at 7 am but fajri didn't wake up yet. So we embarked our trip at 11 am. we went there by bike, fajri led us there. We went there through ciamis and padalarang, it took 3 hours from bandung because of jammed and it was raining so we have to take shelter in alfama**. finally, we arrived in first stop site. This was a special article, because ari would be contributing in my blog. check this out fellas......

Outcrops Overview of Rajamandala Limestone: 

World Class Outcrops in West Java

Written by: Ari Wibowo 

Observation team: Fajri, Sahid, Waladun.

Rajamandala Formation, as one of the oldest limestone outcrops in Java Island, has a good reef succession 

record that contains numerous building organisms and inherent mineralogy. Many studies are conducted 

related to sedimentology & stratigraphy, structural evolution, diagenesis development and moreover on 

geotourism point of view. A number of geologist thinks that it can be used as a guide to distribute analogue in subsurface prolific carbonate reservoirs. In addition, a beautiful Rajamandala karst land form could be

considered as one of the best national geopark. It is worth it if some references called it as world class 

limestone outcrop. So, let’s we discuss more about Rajamandala Formation that well exposed on following 

locations below.

Figure 1. Distribution of Rajamandala Fm. shown on pink colour (Sujatmiko, 2003).

Gunung Manik Outcrop

The outcrop is located at steeply sloping limestone canyon. It  shows a good structural geological feature 

which is normal right slip fault with almost vertically fault  plane. This fault belongs to stratigraphic contact

between Rajamandala unit toward Citarum sandstone. Fault breccia features are well recorded as a prove 

of deformation’s product. Coralline framestone facies appear dominantly which represent building reef’s part.

The outcrop belongs to core reef part consist of coral and algae aragonitic that got dissolution easily into 

fractures which recorded on the rock. Those fractures could be infilled by hydrocarbon if they were present 

(?). On bird view, we can observed the development of numerous pore system as result from dissolution, 

namely caves. In addition, Gunung manik outcrop is also often used for climbing sport because of its huge 

size and firm as a hard limestone.

Figure 2. Gunung Manik outcrop view; (a) a normal right slip fault feature (b) fault breccia zone

(c) coralline framestone facies

Gunung Masigit Outcrop

The outcrop is located at northward of Gunung Manik outcrop. It has around 40 meters in height. 

Autochthonous group facies are dominant in the bottom part followed by bioclast-rich limestone upward. 

According to log analysis,  it belongs to foreslope part which characterized by the occurence of debris

lithoclast with matrix supported. Porosity do not develop well on several petrographic section caused by 

dominant matrix composition.

Figure 3. Gunung Masigit outcrop view

Figure 4. Sedimentary log of Gunung Masigit outcrop.

Gunung Kencana Outcrop

The outcrop is located at lime quarry. Commonly it is difficult to observe the deformation evidence in 

limestone formation caused by dissolution on unstable part but Rajamandala limestone does the opposite. 

A complexity of rock deformation is observed. An anticline feature lies along to west-east characterized 

by different dip direction apart followed by a number of vertical bedding that may indicate a reverse fault 

feature. If we go round the outcrop, we may observe others namely strike slip fault and minor faults (?). 

Figure 5. Gunung Kencana outcrop view showing a complexity of rock deformation.

Stone Garden Outcrop

The outcrop is located at high-topographic karst landform. Pinnacle reef-like contain numerous type of 

corals and organism. Branching and head coral supported by laminated algae represent high-energy shallow 

marine condition. Large size and angular fragments indicate talus deposit characteristic. A number of 

stylolites, fractures, and vuggy pore are also observed indicate that there are strong post diagenetic event 

occur. The abundance of these carbonate fractures could lead us to know better about their relationship

toward porosity development. 

Recently, it has been transformed into geopark area so that help observer to pass through to the outcrop 

location. The existence of this geopark prove that geology’s thing could be enjoyed by anyone not for 

geoscientist only. Because of its geology phenomena, we may endorse Stone Garden outcrop as one of 

the best geoparks in the worldwide.

Figure 6. Stone Garden outcrop view; (a) geopark welcome gate, (b) a group of pinnacle reef like 

on small scale, (c) braching coral colonies, and (d) stylolite and fracture features.

Conclusions

Rajamandala limestone is preserved well on the several outcrops in Padalarang Area, West Java. It 

records good data that can be used for studying more about carbonate. Organism variety and structural 

geology influence enrich the carbonate complexity on Rajamandala limestone. More over, on geotourism 

point of view it can be good destination for vacation.

References:

· Akbar, F.Z., 2015, Geologi dan Mikrofasies Formasi Rajamandala Daerah Gunung Masigit dan 

  Sekitarnya. Skripsi (tidak dipublikasikan).

· Harahap, H., B., et al., 2003, Stratigraphic Lexicon of Indonesia, GRDC, Bandung. 

· Maryanto, S., 2009, Pendolomitan Batugamping Formasi Rajamandala di Lintasan Gua Pawon, 

  Bandung Barat. Jurnal Geologi Indonesia, Vol. 4 No.3 p.203-213.

· Sudjatmiko, 2003. Peta Geologi Lembar Cianjur, Jawa, Skala 1:100.000. Pusat Penelitian dan 

  Pengembangan Geologi, Bandung.

what are you thinking about the rocks behind me? ask me and I will be telling you everything - geologist

it's a good place, it can either be a tourist site or a field trip. But, in my mind said "for goodness's sake", what have you been doing?" because, local people have been destroying it by mining activity to get a profit. as we know that, limestone is raw material of cement and residential development has been increasing every year. But, there is no government policy that stipulates about this problem and penalties for violator thereby generating a deterrent effect. local people's role were indispensable to enhance their awareness for environment. I knew that you've been there but someday you will be bringing your family, your friends, your couple, your child etc to feast eyes on its nature landscape and don't just tell them if it have existed. we mustn't destroy it but protect it because we weren't underdeveloped nations but educated nations, we have to know the effect that will be happening of our act. I should posting this article few days ago but I have to hold on for this explanation because ari and fajri were more understand about limestone than me. Haha. I welcome if you all would like to contribute in my blog, I appreciate it. See you in my next trip fellaaaas