Petrography and Geochemistry of Sandstone of the Kamlial Formation, Islamabad Expressway Section, Islamabad, Pakistan
Keywords:
Miocene, Tectonic origin, Weathering, Sandstone, Petrography, GeochemistryAbstract
The Miocene Rawalpindi Group including the Kamlial and Murree formations and the Quaternary deposits are exposed along the Express Highway Islamabad near Korang Bridge. This study is focused on the Kamlial Formation. Detailed petrographic analysis reveals that the formation contains abundant fractured quartz which are often oriented in the form of micro-lenses. K-feldspar occurs in various forms, including microcline and micro-perthite along with plagioclase. This mineral composition may suggest felsic plutonic and volcanic source rocks. Pyroxenes and amphiboles are additional indicators of mafic volcanic and/or mafic plutonic rock origin. Traces of garnet, epidote, chlorite and biotite show their derivation from the metamorphic source rocks. The SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio ranging from 1.7 to 7.1 (average ≈ 4) and the K₂O/Na₂O ratio from 1.7 to 7 (average ≈ 4) suggest mineralogical immaturity in the sandstones of the Kamlial Formation. The presence of fractured quartz and bended mica indicate that the area had undergone significant deformation resulting from regional folding. Based on geochemistry, the sandstones of the Kamlial Formation are litharenite which shows fluvial depositional environment derived from the Kohistan island arc and/or the lesser and higher Himalayas.
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