Himalayan Geology, Vol. 41 (2), 2020, pp. 145-156, Printed in India

Sedimentary, structural and salt tectonic evolution of Karoli-Nilawahan area, Central Salt Range and its impact for the Potwar Province

SHAHID GHAZI¹, SYED HAROON ALI^2,3, TAHIR SHAHZAD¹, NISAR AHMED¹*, PERVEIZ KHALID¹, SOHAIL AKRAM¹, SHAHID ALI¹, JAVEED SAMI⁴

¹Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan

²South East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory, Department of Geoscience, University Technology PETRONAS, 32610, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

³Department of Earth Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

⁴Department of Space Science, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan

*Email (Corresponding author): ahmedseis23@gmail.com

Abstract: Salt tectonic features are of particular interest to geologists because they are the source locations for petroleum, sulfur, salt and hydrocarbon reserves. However, litlle attention has been given to the behavior of subsurface salt in the form of salt tectonics in the Salt Range, Pakistan. Salt Range is the southernmost part of the tectonically active Himalaya in Pakistan. It is an important boundary of Sub-Himalaya in which sedimentary succession is separated from the Indian shield basement, and the Precambrian Salt Range Formation provides a décollement zone. The Cenozoic Himalayan tectonics during its later phases is responsible for the formation of the Salt Range. The Karoli and the Nilawahan areas are located in the Central Salt Range. The core of the Karoli Dome is the Salt Range Formation, and flanked by the Permain Nilawahan and the Eocene Cherrat Groups. The salt tectonic features observed in the study area include salt anticlines (Hamtat Nilawahan, Kass Ratani and Kathi wahan), synclines (Cherrat, Bhal, Dhok Jabba, and Lafi), salt diapric structures (Karoli dome), normal faulting and extensional fractures. The salt tectonics of the study area has been inferred as the cause of extensional environment on the basis of phenomenon of salt doming and valley bulging. The salt and evaporites moved up and pierced the above Phanerozoic sequence. We propose that during the formation of this part of Salt Range (Karoli to Nilawahan), the area was transformed into fold and thrust belts and then by salt tectonics.

Keywords: Salt Range, Salt tectonics, Fold and thrust belt, Salt doming, Valley Bulging.