Characterization of dikes at Simpang Pulai quarry, Perak.

Due to dissolution, weathering and erosion, limestone and marble form karstic landscape with precipitous hills, rugged valleys, caves and sinkholes. In the event of an intrusion, the magma, which resides below the limestone bedrock will ascend toward the earth's surface and fill up the fractures within the pre-existing rocks, forming dikes and sills. Dikes and veins can also be formed when minerals precipitate from hydrothermal fluids within a fracture. The objective of this study was to determine the texture and mineralogy of the dikes cutting the marble in the study area. The findings suggest that the mineral composition and physical structure of the dikes differ from the marble host rock based on its mineral, chemical and physical properties. Three samples were collected and analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and petrographic microscope. The results show that there are at least two types of dike, which are quartz and a coarse-grained granite dike at the study area. The presence of these dikes may affect the chemical and mechanical properties of aggregates produced from the quarry, and in turn affect the excavated rocks of its usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]