2. PRESENTED BY : MUHAMMAD JAWWAD SHAMSI
COURSE : PLATE TECTONICS

3. S NO. TOPIC PG
NO.
1 What is tectonic?
2 What is plate tectonic?
3 Tectonics of Pakistan
4 Tectonic segments of Pakistan
I. Chaman Transform Zone
II. northern Collision Belt
III. Platform Areas
IV. Subduction Complex Association of Balochistan.
V. Ophiolites & Ophiolite Mélanges
5 References

4. Pakistan is one of the most fascinating parts of the globe. A collision mountain belt comprising the Himalaya,
Karakoram and Hindukush Ranges forms its northern part. Extensive nappes and thrust sheets with Berkovian
metamorphism, large granitic batholiths, and sutures marked by mélanges, ophiolite and high-P metamorphic
rocks characterize these mountain ranges. Some parts of the mountains, rising at. a fast rate of over 5 mm/year,
expose granitic plutons only a few million years old. expose granitic plutons only a few million years old.
The exposed rock sequence includes Precambrian metamorphic and plutonic rocks, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and
Paleogene pericratonic shelf deposits which form the platform cover and the marginal fold belt, and an
extensive and exceptionally thick· pile of Neogene molasses (Siwaliks) that fills the fore deep. Famous for
their rich and exotic vertebrate fauna, the Siwaliks are the product of intense denudation that accompanied the
uplift of the Karakoram and the Himalayas, which may have removed half of the elevated crustal mass in these
rapidly rising mountains.
The foundation of the geology of Pakistan was laid by many geologists went with the early mountaineering
expeditions to the Karakoram and the High Himalaya with relatively poor equipment, and brought back
valuable data on geology and glaciology (Godwin-Austen 1864, De Filippi 1910, Dainelli 1922, 1928, 1934,
1939, Desio 1930, 1955). Some of the earliest notices and accounts of local geology are by Barnes (1832) on
the Salt mines in the Punjab. After that many geologist work on geology of Pakistan to explore different
structures in Pakistan. Thus Pakistan geology turned a new leaf with the dawn of Independence in 1947. Most
of the joint assets of trained manpower, equipment, library, technical data, museum etc., were left behind in
Calcutta
Fig 1 Tectonic of Pakistan

5. What is tectonic ?
“Tectonic is the study of the deformation of the rocks that make up the Earth's crust and the forces that produce deformation.”
The pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust, refers the forces or conditions within the earth that cause movements of the crust, designating the results of such
movements cause formation of tectonic valleys. it describes the process of mountain building , the growth and behavior of the strong , old cores of continents known as
cratons. is the process that controls the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time

6. Plate tectonics is basically a scientific theory describing the large-scale motion of seven large plates of world.
These seven palates are given below.
1. Pacific Plate – 103,300,000 km^2
2. North America Plate – 75,900,000 km^2
3. Eurasian Plate – 67,800,000 km^2
4. African Plate – 61,300,000 km^2
5. Antarctic Plate – 60,900,000 km^2
6. Indo-Australian Plate – 58,900,000 km^2 often considered as two plates:
a. Australian Plate – 47,000,000 km^2
b. Indian Plate – 11,900,000 km^2
7 South American Plate – 43,600,000 km^2
What is Plate Tectonics?
Tectonic plates are pieces of Earth's crust and uppermost mantle, together referred to as the lithosphere. The plates are around 100 km (62 mi) thick and consist of two principal
types of materials named as oceanic crust and continental crust.
 Oceanic crust also called as “sima” from silicon and magnesium.
 Continental crust also called as “sial” from silicon and aluminum.
Fig 2 seven largest plates of world

7.  Pakistan geographically lies between 60°E to78°E & 24°N to 37°N.
 It has high density of active faults and is seismically one of the most active area of the Asia.
 Tectonically it is located in the region of intersection of three plates, Indian, Eurasian and Arabian
sea plate.
 In the north there is convergent plate boundary between Eurasian and Indian plate, resulting into
great Himalaya.
 In the west the intersection between these two plates became transform in nature
 In the south there is a Subduction zone known as Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ) due to the
Subduction of Arabian sea plate under Eurasian plate
 The Sindh and Punjab provinces lies on the north-western corner of the Indian plate.
 Balochistan and most of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa lie within the Eurasian plate which mainly
comprises the Iranian plateau.
Tectonics of Pakistan
Fig 3 generalize map of tectonic of Pakistan

8. CHAMAN TRANSFORM FAULT
Chaman transform fault is mainly characterized by strike slip faulting with minor thrust
components. It connects the Makran Convergent Margin in the south with Himalayan Convergence
Zone in the north. The width of the transform zone varies from north to south. It is 100 km^2 wide
in the south, narrows to 30-40 km b/w Khuzdar & Quetta; widens abruptly to over 200 km^2 in
Zhob Thrust Belt & then narrows gradually towards the Kabul Block in the north.
The Pakistan can be divided into various tectonic segments which are as follows :
 Chaman Transform Zone
 northern Collision Belt
 Platform Areas
 Subduction Complex Association of Baluchistan
 Ophiolites & Ophiolite Mélanges
Tectonic segments of Pakistan
Fig 4 Chaman transform fault

9. The Northern collision Belt of Pakistan is a part of the Alpine-Himalayan orogeny produced by
continental collision. The Northern collision Belt of Pakistan is a part of the Alpine-Himalayan
orogeny produced by continental collision.
The main features of the Northern Collision Belt from north to south are the following:
a) Salt range
b) Potwar and Kohath plateau
c) Nanga Parbat Massif
d) Hill ranges
e) Southern Kohistan
f) Plio-Pleistocene Basins
g) Indian foreland
h) Karakorum Block
Northern Collision Belt
Fig 5 northern collision belt of Pakistan

10. 1.Salt Range
 Salt range and Trans-Indus Ranges are the surface expressions of the leading edge of a decollement thrust/Salt
Range Thrust/Himalayan Frontal Thrust.
 The zone of decollement appears to have been provided by the evaporites of the Precambrian Salt Range
Formation which underlies the Salt Range and the Potwar Plateau to the north.
2.Potwar and Kohat Plateau
 The area is located north of Salt Range and Trans- Indus Salt Range culminating in Parachinar-Kala Chitta Fold
Belt.
Fig. 7 Kohat-Potwar Plateau
Potwar Plateau:
a. Northern folded zone
b. The platform zone
Kohat Plateau:
a. Kohat Eocene Salt Zone
b. b. Bannu Depression.
Fig 6 salt range and Trans Indus range

11. 3.Nanga Parbat Massif
 This part includes the rocks of Himalayan age metamorphism and is cross cut by small
Tertiary tourmaline granite intrusive bodies.
 This massif is a narrow northward extension of the crystalline rocks deep into the Kohistan-
Ladakh andesitic arc and represents the western end of the High Himalaya.
4.Hill Ranges Hill
Ranges consist of a pair of low, interrupted mountain chains extending from the
Hazara-Kashmir syntaxis to Sulaiman Range.
Fig.8 Hill Ranges
5.Southern Kohistan
 This is located north of the Plio-Pleistocene Basins and is dominated by crystalline
metamorphic and intrusive rocks.
6.Plio-Pleistocene Basins
 Cambellpur and Peshawar Basins are two major currently active geomorphic features in northern
Pakistan.
 These basins are in the south of southern Kohistan and in the north of Hill Ranges

12. 7.Indian Foreland
 Rocks of the Indian Shield are exposed in Pakistan at Nagar Parkar and Kirana Hills.
8.Karakorum Block
 This is located north of MKT and is a terrain of Gondwana affinities which was sutured to Eurasia
Fig 9 Karakorum block

13. Platform Areas are the eastern most features of Pakistan. These are relatively much stable areas where generally monoclinal strata rest atop crystalline basement
(Indian Shield). Cambrian to Siwaliks aged rocks seem to onlap against this basement. Platform areas form south-eastern part of Lower Indus Basin. There seems to
be no activity related to the basement. However, the overlying strata are affected by the plate collision
Platform Areas
A subduction-convergence zone with an unusually wide & sub aerially exposed arc-trench gap is saturated west of
Chaman-Ornach Nal faults.
It consists of Volcanic-Plutonic Arc of Chagai and Makran Margin.
 Volcanic-Plutonic Arc of Chagai : The Chagai Volcanic arc is the northern most subduction associated feature
exposed in Pakistan. It is convex towards south & extends for about 500 kms in east-west direction & 150 kms
in a north-south direction. This andesitic volcanic arc is associated with ultramafic rocks of Ras Koh Range.
These two are divided by Mirjawa-Dalbandin Trough formed through Paleogene. In the north, Ras Koh Range
is in tectonic contact with the gently folded Mesozoic-Tertiary sequence of the Chagai Volcanic Arc & in the
south it is separated by zone of Quaternary deposits from the Makran Trench accretionary deposits further
south.
Subduction Complex Association of Balochistan
Fig 10 Subduction complex association of Balochistan

14.  Makran Margin : This is the accretionary wedge of sediments developed b/w a buried offshore trench & Quaternary volcanoes & regarded as arc-trench gap. Arabian
Plate, which is subduction beneath the Makran Margin, dip gently northwards. Pakistani Makran is bounded b/w two strike slip fault systems to the west the Neh faults
of Hari Rud Zone & to the east the Chaman Transform Zone. The trench-arc gap measures 400-600 kms across, about twice the width of a typical gap The Makran
Margin is an active plate boundary with ongoing subduction at a rate of about 5 cm/year
Fig 11 Makran margin

15. • The eastern edge of the transform zone is associated with ophiolites which are believed to have been obducted upon the sediments of the margin of
the Indo Pakistan subcontinent. These are Zhob, Waziristan, Muslim bagh & Bela ophiolites
• Bela ophiolites were emplaced as a result of oblique convergence b/w the Indian Plate & the Neo-Tethys giving rise to an emergent zone of
tectonically mixed continental & oceanic rocks.
Fig 12 Present day Muslim Bagh ophiolite

16.  geology-tectonics-of-pakistan-by-kazmi-qasimjan.pdf
 https://www.slideshare.net/HamasUlGhani1/tectonic-framework-of-pakistan-127309819
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of tectonic Pakistan
References: