Geological and geomorphological characteristics of Du Cape at the Cam Mountain, Ninh Hai ward, Ninh Hoa district, Khanh Hoa province to serve as a basis for conservation and exploitation of tourism potential

Abstract

Du Cape, with the area of about 3 km2, is positioned at the eastern edge of the Cam Mountain, Ninh Hai ward, Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province. Possessing a north‒south direction, this shoreline section covers a length of about 2.5 km.The section comprisessedimentary cliffs of 15‒25 m. The natural landscape now is unspoiled and attractive. The cliffs consist of layers of sedimentary rock with varying slopes and orientations of 45‒63o at different locations. The northern part of the studied Du Cape has characteristic concave folds. The geological formation in the area, belonging to the La Nga Formation (J2ln). The lower part includes of claystone, siltstone, layered and banded sandstone. The upper part comprises layers of medium‒small‒grained sandstones with varied colors of brown, yellow‒brown and gray‒white. The rock is highly compressed and has a schist structure. Ammonite fossils are typical for the Jurassic period and this type of sedimenthas been discovered in some remaining ones. The topographicorigins of the studied Du Cape could be divided into two groups: erosive and accumulative. Its topographical surfaces are of 6 types: erosion‒landslide slope, eroded and eroded slope, multi‒origin accumulation surface of Quaternary age, sedimentary shelf of marine origin, strip of sand accumulation of marine origin, and deposition of coastal sand. The geological mapping and mineral prospecting methods are used to study in detail the geological and geomorphological features of the area. The obtained results showed that Du Cape merits to be developed into a geological heritage as well as a destination "mountain‒sea tourist area" combining with research and educational activities in the field of Earth Science.