Physical and Human Geography

Located in the central part of Sumatra Island, the Merangin Jambi Geopark (MJGp) area is at the coordinates of 101° 32' 18.745" E - 102° 37' 54,745" E and 1° 42' 1.822" S - 2° 45' 58,555" S. Urban locations are located in Bangko, ±150 km from Jambi City (5 - 6 hours by road). This 4,832.31 km² area is entirely land, with the highest peak being Mount Masurai (> 2,900 asl). The diversity of landscapes in this area, contains from mountains, craters, valleys, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, to caves. MJGp area is home to more than 4000 types of plants and 372 types of fauna species. Most of the fauna including rare and endangered species.

Administratively, located in Jambi Province, especially the Merangin Regency area. Dominated by the Malay ethnic population around 213,288 peoples, the majority of whom are engaged in the agricultural sector. In the era of techno and modern development, the local community still maintains their ancestral culture and is manifested in several traditional villages that are still sustainable today. To support regional activities, there are several available transportation infrastructures such as terminals, public transport routes that connect with other Regencies/Cities and Provinces, as well as a road network, most of which are in adequate condition. To support geopark areas, several locations have provided facilities like interpretation panels, equipment for special interest activities, guides/ interpreters, printed and digital information media, and also a geopark information center.

Geological Features and Geology of International Significance

Three main geological uniqueness in the Merangin Jambi Geopark (MJGp). Fossils of “Jambi Flora” represent the West Sumatra Terrane of Cathaysialand with Euramerican Flora, karst landscape represent a mesozoic era with prehistoric artefacts and Masurai Caldera represents the Quaternary volcanic.

In the Early Permian at the end of the Paleozoic glaciation, ecosystem stability and the resulting taxonomic statis that existed for plants forest in the Late Carboniferous were disturbed. Early Permian fossils collection from MJGP in Mengkarang Formation consist in Parasequences. Flora fossil Permian is composed of general ration of seed ferns flora like Pecopterids, Calamites and Cordaites, rare new Permian Flora exist like Gigantopterids. Early conifers also present in Mengkarang like Tobleria bicuspis in Merangin river.

The geological diversity in the MJGp area is also increasingly complemented by the presence of karst stretches in the Manau River which have a variety of landscapes, both exokarst and endokarst. The karst is formed by limestone, this rock unit is a shallow sea exposure deposit, orientation to the southwest. It belong to Peneta Formation of the Late Jurassic Member of Mersip. The rock layers contain molluscs and small veins of quartz and calcite are visible.

MJGP completed with Masurai Complex with tectonic volcanic phenomena that have caused the formation of several landscapes such as lakes, waterfalls, and hotspring manifestations that are still active process today. Caldera Masurai was formed from a large eruption on the VEI scale 6 at 33,000 years ago.