Genesis mineral lempung bentonit pada daerah Cimapang, Kecamatan Lengkong, Kabupaten Sukabumi, Provinsi Jawa Barat
P enelitian dilakukan disekitar 40 km di daerah area Cimapag, KecamatanLengkong, Sukabumi, Propinsi Jawa Barat. Ruang lingkup studi meliputi beberapa aspek kajian tentang geologi, geomorfologi, stratigrafi, struktur dan sejarah geologi termasuk studi khusus tentang bentonit. Berdasarkan analisis geomorfologi, area studi dibagi menjadi dua (2) satuan. Sedangkan menurut konsepsi stratigrafi, area studi dapat dibagi menjadi lima (5) kelompok posisi stratigrafi dari umur miosen tua ke muda yang didominasi oleh satuan andesit, breksi andesit, batupasir, batulempung, dan tufa. Berdasarkan asalisis struktur yang dimulai pada awal miosen akhir terdapat beberapa perlipatan aktif masing-masing berupa antiklin bojonghour dan sirnahurip dan sinklin nyalindung. Pergerakan perlipatan tersebut diikuti masing-masing oleh sesar gesermengiri bojonghour, bantar panjang dan nyalindung girang serta sesar geser menganan di panarawuan. Kemudian bentonit merupakan mineral lempung yang terdiri 80% montmorilonit sebagai fenokris dalam gelas vulkanik. Persebaran fenomena tersebut terjadi secara luas di Desa Pulo dan Pasirbangban Kabupaten Sukabumi. Metode yang dipakai dalam studi terdiri dari analisis petrography, difraktometri sinar x, dan pencucian tanah (bleaching earth). Keadaan bentonit Cimapag menunjukkan terjadinya mineral ubahan dari material glass (tufa) menjadi batulempung. Secara mineralogi keberadaan tipe smectite mencirikan Ca-montmorilonit hasil proses vitrivikasi.
T his research was conducted in around 40 km at Cimapag area, Lemgkongdistric, Sukabumi, West Java Province. The study consisted of several aspects of geology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, structural, and historical geologies as well as the special study of benthonyte. Based on geomorphological analysis the study area can be devided into (2) two units. While according to the stratigaphycal concepts the study areas can be classified into (5) five groups according to the stratigraphycal position from old to young miocenes dominated by andesite, breccia andesite, sandstone, mudstone and tuff units. Structural analysis started from early to latemiocenes resulted in some active folding by bojonghour anticline and bothsirnahurip and nyalindung synclines respectively. Such folding movements followed then by two synistral strike slip faults at bojonghour, and bantarpanjang and nyalindung girang and dextral strike slip fault at panarawuan. Benthonyte is a clay mineral composed of 80% of montmorillonite minerals as phenocrysts in volcanic glasses. They are spreading extensively at pulo and pasirbangban villages of Sukabumi district. The methods applied in the research consisted of petrography, x - ray diffractometer (XRD) and bleaching earth analysis. Such benthonyte Cimapag showed the alteration of glass materials (tuff) from mudstone. Mineralogically the smectite type characterized by the existence of Ca-montmorillonite resulted from vitrivication processed.