Paleogeographic and paleotectonic evolution of the Himalayan Range as reflected by detrital modes of Tertiary sandstones and modern sands (Indus transect, India and Pakistan)

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 1996 Paleogeographic and paleotectonic evolution of the Himalayan Range as reflected by detrital modes of Tertiary sandstones and modern sands (Indus transect, India and Pakistan) Eduardo Garzanti; Eduardo Garzanti 1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universitá di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 34, 20133 Milano, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Salvatore Critelli; Salvatore Critelli 2C.N.R.—Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica nell'Italia meridionale ed Insulare, Via G. Verdi, 248, 87030 Roges di Rende (CS), Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Raymond V. Ingersoll Raymond V. Ingersoll 3Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Eduardo Garzanti 1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universitá di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 34, 20133 Milano, Italy Salvatore Critelli 2C.N.R.—Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologica nell'Italia meridionale ed Insulare, Via G. Verdi, 248, 87030 Roges di Rende (CS), Italy Raymond V. Ingersoll 3Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1567 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1996) 108 (6): 631–642. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1996)108<0631:PAPEOT>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Eduardo Garzanti, Salvatore Critelli, Raymond V. Ingersoll; Paleogeographic and paleotectonic evolution of the Himalayan Range as reflected by detrital modes of Tertiary sandstones and modern sands (Indus transect, India and Pakistan). GSA Bulletin 1996;; 108 (6): 631–642. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1996)108<0631:PAPEOT>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Detrital modes of sandstones derived from the Himalayan suture belt record the history of the mountain range since initial collision between India and Asia, which began in latest Paleocene time. Tertiary clastic wedges deposited in fore-arc, foreland, and remnant-ocean basins, and exposed along the Indus transect from northernmost India to the Arabian Sea, represent the best opportunity to study sedimentary responses to successive tectonic events during continental collision.Quartzose "continental-block" and feldspatholithic "magmatic-arc" sandstones were deposited, respectively, on the passive Indian (Tethys Himalayan succession) and active Asian (Indus Group) continental margins during Late Cretaceous–Paleocene time. Closure of the Neotethys was marked by sudden arrival of volcanic and ophiolitic detritus on the passive continental margin of the Indian plate during deposition of sediments dated at foraminiferal zones P6 (Pakistan) to P8 (India). Starting in early Eocene time (deposition of Chulung La Formation and Murree Supergroup), volcanic and ophiolitic to metasedimentary detritus was accumulated in rapidly subsiding "piggy-back" and foreland basins. Homogeneous petrographic composition within the Eocene–lower Miocene Murree Supergroup, with only slight progressive increase of detrital feldspars, suggests erosion of largely supracrustal rocks involved in thrusting in the north.In middle Miocene time, marked enrichment in medium- to high-grade metamorphic detritus in foreland sandstones (Siwalik Group) reflects rapid uplift of a warm wedge of Indian crust, which was carried southward along the Main Central thrust. This major paleogeographic change was recorded also by quartzolithic remnant-ocean turbidites, which were fed great distances along transverse fracture zones and later accreted in the coastal Makran subduction complex (Panjgur association and Makran Group).Recycled-orogen detritus derived from the elevated Himalayan chain is still accumulating today in the Indus fan. Enrichment in feldspars with respect to ancient sandstones reflects deep erosion levels into mid-crustal rocks along the core of the growing orogen. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.