Petrology and provenance of the sandstone channel succession within the Jurassic Loralai Formation, Sulaiman Fold-Thrust Belt, Pakistan
Keywords:
Loralai Formation; Sandstone channel succession; Petrology; ProvenanceAbstract
The Sulaiman Fold-Thrust Belt, Pakistan contains thousands of meters thick Mesozoic succession, which was deposited at the northwestern passive margin of the Indian Plate within the Palaeo-Tethys. The Jurassic Loralai Formation is an important part of the sedimentary succession of the Sulaiman FoldThrust Belt, which is mainly composed of limestone with minor proportions of shale, marl and sandstone. Sandstone succession within the Loralai Formation has neither been reported nor described before, which is hereby reported from the Feroz-e-Kan and Ziarat Morh sections, southwest of the Muslimbagh Town. In the Feroz-e-Kan Section approximately 30 meters thick channelized sandstone succession is exposed. Petrology of these sandstones was studied and modal analysis carried out in order to classify and understand their detrital modes and provenance. Sandstone has been classified as sub-lithic arenite. Their Qt-F-L plot indicate a Recycled Orogen, Qm-F-Lt plot indicate mostly Quartzose Recycled (partly Craton Interior) Orogen and Qp-Lvm-Lsm plot suggest Collisional (Suture Belt) Orogen. We propose that detritus of sandstone of the Jurassic Loralai Formation has been derived from the Indian Craton situated east-southeast of the study area. Its close resemblance with the sandstone of the Late Cretaceous Pab and Mughal Kot formations indicate that the Indian Craton had been their common source terrain throughout the Jurassic-Cretaceous times.
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