GEOLOGY AND GEOTREK MENGKARANG: POTENTIAL OF MENGKARANG RIVER AS FEATURED GEOTOURISM IN BEDING REJO VILLAGE, MERANGIN REGENCY JAMBI

Beding Rejo village, Merangin district, Jambi are drained by Mengkarang river, one of the tributary of Merangin River. This area include to Merangin Geopark, where the Mengkarang River had characteristics of rock ages 290 million years and intruded by 200 million years Granite. There also found fossils like Calamites sp., preserved Log Fossil, ancient Root and some kinds of fossils such as Pecopteris sp., Gigantopteris sp., and Cordadites sp., thus this area known as endemic area and marker of ancient flora fossils which has older age than the other region. It also found a cascading waterfall as result of fairly structural control. Geologically, this area include in Mengkarang Formation age as Paleozoic’s Permian, older than the ages of basins in Sumatra Island, and intruded by Jura’s Granite. Morphologically, Mengkarang River surrounded by eroded hills, create the hidden impression and cause the river preserved well. The river condition, which is not too deep, facillitate the tracking alongside the river and the banks of river, while learning the characteristic of Mengkarang Formation plentiful of endemic fossil of flora and fauna. Geotourism potential here beside have a geological value, also have cultural value which based on local community aspect and support for the development of the area. Kata kunci :Formasi Mengkarang, Geotrek, Calamites sp., Sungai Mengkaran