Geological and petrographic investigations of the Miocene Molasse deposits in Sub-Himalayas, District Sudhnati, Pakistan

Javed, Asim; Wahid, Ali; Mughal, Muhammad Saleem; Khan, Muhammad Shuaib; Qammar, Raja Saad; Ali, Syed Haroon; Siddiqui, Numair A.; Iqbal, Muhammad Atif

doi:10.1007/s12517-021-07529-x

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Geologically, the research area is located in the core of the Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis (HKS) (Figure 1). The HKS consists of various overlapping thrust sheets and is composed of Precambrian to Mesozoic Formations that have been thrust over molasses deposits [15,17]. The Indo-Gangetic alluvium covers Neogene molasse deposits to the south of the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Pakistan, its lower contact is conformable with the Rawalpindi Group (e.g., Muree Formation and Kamlial Formation), whereas its upper contact with the Lei Conglomerate/Mirpur Conglomerate is unconformable. Different researchers have worked on Himalayan molasses deposits in different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan, including Najman, Garzanti, Pringle, Bickle, Stix and Khan [1], Ashraf and Chaudhary [14], Bossart, et al [15], Critelli and Garzanti [16], Javed, et al [17], Iqbal, et al [18], Abbasi and Khan [19], Zaheer, et al [20], Abbasi [21], Zaleha [22], Mustafa, et al [23], Aadil [24], and Khan, et al [25]. Apart from these, various other researchers have also worked on the Siwalik Group rocks of other parts of the Sub-Himalayas in India and Nepal, including Singh [26], Ghosh and Kumar [27], Sanyal, et al [28], Kundu, et al [29], Goswami and Deopa [7], Debnath, et al [30], Sigdel and Sakai [31], Syangbo and Tamrakar [32], and Rai, et al [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Petrography and Lithofacies of the Siwalik Group in the Core of Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis: Implications for Middle Stage Himalayan Orogeny and Paleoclimatic Conditions

et al. 2022

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The present field and petrographic investigations of the Tortonian to Gelasian Siwalik Group in the southwestern region of the Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis have been carried out to comprehend the middle stage Himalayan orogeny that resulted from the collision of Indian and Asian plates. The Chinji, Nagri, Dhok Pathan, and Soan Formations of the Siwalik Group were deposited by river meandering flood plains, braided rivers, and alluvial fan systems, respectively. The Siwalik Group is classified into seven major facies and many minor facies based on sedimentological properties. According to the petrographic analysis, the Siwalik Group sandstone is classified as litharenite and feldspathic litharenite petrofacies. The sandstone of the Siwalik Group is texturally mature, but compositionally it is immature. The data shown on the tectonic discrimination diagrams point to a recycled orogen provenance field for the Siwalik sandstone. In addition to quartz and feldspar, the sandstone includes clasts of volcanic, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock types. The igneous and metamorphic rock clasts were derived from the Lesser and Higher Himalayas. The sedimentary lithic fragments, on the other hand, are derived from both the earlier molasse and pre-molasse rocks. The presence of lithic fragments of the earlier molasse sandstone in the Siwalik sandstone indicates that the Siwalik Group sandstones were deposited during the Middle Stage of the Himalayan orogeny. The paleoclimatic conditions were semi-arid to semi-humid during the Siwalik Group’s deposition. The presence of clay minerals in the shale reveals the intense chemical weathering processes that occurred during their deposition on the flood plains of the river meandering system.

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrography and Lithofacies of the Siwalik Group in the Core of Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis: Implications for Middle Stage Himalayan Orogeny and Paleoclimatic Conditions

et al. 2022

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“…However, in the west Himalaya, the Zanskar Shear Zone (ZSZ), also known as the South Tibetan Detachment (STD) fault, is present. The Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) separates the LH from the Sub-Himalayan/Himalayan Foreland Basin [24]. The area consists of vast networks of tributaries connected to rivers that run through the Himalaya and impact sediment erosion, transport, and deposition over a long distance (Figure 1).…”

Section: Regional Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This intermontane basin originated in the Plio-Pleistocene during the late stages of orogenetic episodes caused by The Peshawar Basin is an intermontane basin located on the Indian Plate in the LH, along the southern edge of the Pakistan Himalaya [5,23]. This intermontane basin originated in the Plio-Pleistocene during the late stages of orogenetic episodes caused by Indian-Eurasian plate collisions [24,28,29]. It is responsible for the sediment accumulation in the Attock-Cherat Range and causes pounding drainage [28].…”

Section: Regional Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrographic and Geochemical Analysis of Indus Sediments: Implications for Placer Gold Deposits, Peshawar Basin, NW Himalaya, Pakistan

et al. 2022

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Alluvial placer gold deposits that accumulate in streams across the globe are essentially allochthonous sedimentary deposits that are transported from their source to their location of deposition. The purpose of this study was to find placer gold deposits in alluvial sediments along the Indus River in the NW Himalaya of Pakistan. The investigated region was divided into five clusters based on river morphology. The research focused on mineralogical distribution, sediment source, gold transport distance, elemental composition, and gold concentration in river sediments. Throughout, during the deposition at point and channel bars, the mixed source of alluvial sediments was revealed by its mineralogical composition. However, the SEM analysis demonstrated that the gold grains had a high flatness index, indicating that they had been transported a significant distance. The elemental composition of several samples revealed a significant concentration of silicon dioxide, iron oxide, and alumina oxide transported from the Himalaya. The study of the trace elements indicated gold and related base metals with granitic provenance were transported from an acidic/granitic source. Based on gold concentration, it is demonstrated that the left riverbank (clusters C1, C2, and C3) has a higher concentration of gold deposits and higher potential for economic gold exploration than the right bank (clusters C4 and C5) due to the lower velocity of running water in the study area. The findings revealed that the studied area has good potential for commercial exploration of gold resources, and the workflow can be adopted in any region with a similar geological setting and morphology.

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“…The Kalabagh hills are situated in the eastern part of the Trans-Indus Ranges and consist of a structural transect of Surghar Range. The Kalabagh Fault (KF) is situated in the eastern part and formed due to transpressive right-lateral strike-slip movement in Northern Pakistan [34][35][36][37], whereas the Marwat-Khisore Ranges bound the Bannu Basin in the south and characterize by east-west to east-northeast structural trends. Furthermore, the Pezu-Bhitani Range is the westernmost surface expression of the Trans-Indus Ranges and formed the northeastern extension of the Sulaiman Ranges [38].…”

Section: Study Area and Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prospect Analysis of Paleocene Coalbed Methane: A Case Study of Hangu Formation, Trans-Indus Ranges, Pakistan

et al. 2022

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The methane trapped in the coal seams has emerged as an unconventional clean energy resource worldwide in this century. The proximate composition, ultimate content, cleat structure, porosity type, and pore structures are the debatable components for its trapping mechanism. Further, the brittle and ductile properties of minerals influence in the extraction of the methane from the coal seams. In this research, Coalbed methane prospect is demonstrated by analysing the Hangu Formation’s coal seam of Trans-Indus Ranges, Pakistan. This case study is helpful to find the occurrence, trapping ability, and methane extraction capacity in its cleat structures and pores. A number of samples were tested from the different coal mines in terms of these debatable components. The results indicate that the rank of studied coal is bituminous to subbituminous in which the carbon ratio, volatile matter, and sulfur contents are increasing with depth towards the south. The transitional connected face and butt cleats are partially filled with minerals and the intergranular, dissolved, and tissue pore types are also identified in it. It can be helpful for the occurrence, migration, and trapping of methane. Furthermore, the higher surface areas and cumulative pore volumes enhance the capacity of gas adsorption with depth in the study area. Moreover, the increasing brittle minerals in the coal composition towards the south can be helpful for the fracking of coal seams for economical gas extraction. It is suggested that this workflow can be implemented in any region with same coal rank and cleat types.

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Geological and petrographic investigations of the Miocene Molasse deposits in Sub-Himalayas, District Sudhnati, Pakistan

Cited by 12 publications

References 31 publications

Petrography and Lithofacies of the Siwalik Group in the Core of Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis: Implications for Middle Stage Himalayan Orogeny and Paleoclimatic Conditions

Petrography and Lithofacies of the Siwalik Group in the Core of Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis: Implications for Middle Stage Himalayan Orogeny and Paleoclimatic Conditions

Petrographic and Geochemical Analysis of Indus Sediments: Implications for Placer Gold Deposits, Peshawar Basin, NW Himalaya, Pakistan

Prospect Analysis of Paleocene Coalbed Methane: A Case Study of Hangu Formation, Trans-Indus Ranges, Pakistan

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