Metamorphism

 Metamorphism can be found along these boundaries

and plates
1. Balauchistan Subduction Complex (Chaghai and Raskoh)
2. Melanges
3. Indian Plate
4. KIA
5. Eurassian Plate (Karakoram Block)

1. Balauchistan Subduction Complex (Chaghai and

Raskoh)
 Volcanic+Plutonic rocks of Cretaceous-Tertiary ages
 Generally form due to subduction
 Chaghai range thrust over raskoh range
(metamorphosed)
2. Melanges; includes
A. Bela-Zhob-Waziristan Ophiolites in West of Pakistan
B. Suture Related Melanges
a. Malakand-Mohammad Ophiolites
b. Mingora-Shangla-Allai Melanges
3. Indian Plate
A. Pre-Himalayan Collision Metamorphism
B. Himalayan Collision Metamorphism

A. Pre-Himalayan Collision Metamorphism

e.g., Kirana Hills and Nagar Parkar
B. Himalayan Collision Metamorphism
 Related to Himalayan orogeny and tectonics,
widespread regional metamorphism and deformation
occurred during tertiary, and can be found in various
sectors of Indian plate margins.
 Data shows that grade of metamorphism varies from
very low grade in outer-Himalayan foothills
(Attock-cherat, Kalachitta and S.Hazara) to high
grade in inner-Himalayas region (swat, Azad
Kashmir, Kaghan, hunza and Besham)
4. KIA
 Northern and western part along MKT, covered with
sediments of (Volcanics+Sedimentary)
 Central Part mainly composed of Kohistan
Batholith; granodiorites: sills and dykes much
younger
 Southern sequence of mafic and ultramafic along
MMT; may be divided into three main
tectonomorphic complex by thrust zones
A. North Chilas Complex
B. Central Kamila Amphibolite; amphibolites,
metagabbros, orthogneis
C. South Jijal Complex; garnet-pyroxene-
granulites+ultramafics along MMT
5. Karakoram Block
 Karakoram block is part of Eurasian Plate.

 Can be divided into four units

A. North Chitral; Low grade meta rocks (schists, slates and
plutons)
B. Karakoram sedimentary zone north of Karakoram
batholiths; having low grade of meta pelitic rocks; as
well as contact metamorphism at places
C. Karakoram batholiths; deformed and undeform rocks
D. Metamorphic complex; high grade
 Metamorphic grade decreases northward
 Tectonic Zones of Pakistan
 On the basis of the plate tectonic features, geological
structures, orogenic history (age and nature of
deformation, magmatism and metamorphism) and
lithofacies. Pakistan may be subdivided into the
following broad tectonic zones
1. Indian Plate Form and Foredeep
2. Northwest Himalayan Fold and Thrust belt
3. Kohistan Island Arc
4. Karakoram Block
5. East Balauchistan Fold and Thrust belt
6. Kakar Khorasan flysch basin and Makran accretionar zone
7. Chaghai and Raskoh Magmatic arc
8. Pakisan Offshore area
 Within these divisions there are subdivisions, having
little difference in tectonic history and structure style.
 Basins of Pakistan
 Basin: it is a depression; may be elongated, circular, trough or
embayments
Types of Basins
1. Topographic Basins
2. Structural Basins
3. Sedimentary Basins

1. Topographic Basins
 A low lying areas of the earth’s surface naturally surrounded
by higher areas

2. Structural Basins
 Domes/Basins
 Strata dipping towards center
 OR, basins formed by tectonic like horst/grabben, overloading
of crust etc
3. Sedimentary Basins
 In broad sense “All those areas in which sediments
can accumulate to considerable thickness and
preserved for longer geological time periods”

Basin Forming Processes

 Tectonics play an important role in the formation of
basins
 Basically three main types of basins that are forming
by the process of tectonics
 1. Extentional Basins
 2. Compressional Basin

 3. Strike-Slip Basin
 Sedimentary Basins of Pakistan
 Broadly divided into three basin
 I. Indus Basin
 II. Balauchistan Basin

 III. Pishin Basin

I. Indus Basin
 Largest basin

 1,200km extended; form-up to

 North: MBT
 South: offshore area

 East: Indian Sheild

 West: Fold and Thrust belts (axial belt)

 many authors divide the areas as;
 I.B. Qadri
 A. Upper Indus Basin
 i. Kohat Sub-basin
 ii. Potwar Sub-basin
 B. Lower Indus Basin
 i. Central Indus Basin
 ii. Southern Indus Basin
 H.A. Raza
 A. Upper Indus Basin
 Kohat-Potwar Foredeep
 B. Lower Indus Basin
 i. Nothern Lower Indus Basin and Suleiman Foredeep
 ii. Central Lower Indus Basin and Kirthar Foredeep
 iii. Southern Lower Indus Basin and offshore area
 Kazmi and Jan
 i. Nothern Indus Basin
 ii. Central Indus Basin
 iii. Southern Indus Basin
A. Upper Indus Basin
Location:
 North: MBT
 South: Sargodha High
 West: Kurram Fault
 East: Jhelum River/Jhelum Fault
 Further divides into;
 1. Kohat Sub-basin
 2. Potwar Sub-basin

1. Kohat Sub-basin
 Location
 North: MBT
 South: Bannu Depression
 West: Kurram Fault
 East: Indus River
2. Potwar Sub-basin
 Location
 North: MBT
 South: MFT (SRT)
 West: Indus River
 East: Jhelum Fault
B. Central Indus Basin (Suleiam Sub-basin0
 Location:
 North: Sargodha High
 South: Mari-Khandkot and Jacobabad Highs (collectively
termed as Sukkur rift)
 West: Fold and Thrust belt of Suleiman Range
 East: Indian Sheild Rocks

C. Lower Indus Basin (Kirthar Sub-basin)

 Location:
 North: Sukkur Rift
 South: Arabian Sea / offshore area; East: Murray Ridge and
West: Nagaparkar High
 West: Fold and Thrust belt of Kithar Range
 East: Indian Sheild Rocks
II. Balauchistan Basin
 (Arc-Trench System)
 Location
 North: Afghan Block/Eurasia
 South: Arabian Sea

 West: Extended upto Iran (Zargraos Fold and Thrust belt)

 East: Chaman Transform Fault

III. Pishin Basin

 Location; North of Balauchistan Basin
 North: Kabul Block
 South/West: SW; Chaman Transform Fault

 East: Fold and Thrust Belt (Kirthar/Suleiman)

 Stratigraphy of Pakistan

 In relation with tectonic zones the stratigraphy of of Pakistan may be

dealt in; Tectonostratigraphic zones of Pakistan.

 Broadly the Tectonostratigrapic zones of Pakistan divides and

redivides into;
Stratigraphy
 Describing a Formation
 Nomenclature/Previous Literature
 Type Locality/Type Section/Reference Section
 Lithology: rocks, colour, texture, grain size, sorting,
sedimentary structures, thickness and distribution
 Fossils
 Age
 Correlation
 Environment of Deposition