In the Name of Allah, Merciful, Beneficent

Assignment:Assignment:Geology of Waziristan & Parachinar and their Geology of Waziristan & Parachinar and their

tectonic evidence and Mineralization.tectonic evidence and Mineralization.

Submitted By:Submitted By:Salah ud din Wazir, Kaleem Ullah Marwat & Ch. Salah ud din Wazir, Kaleem Ullah Marwat & Ch.

Hassnain HaheefHassnain Haheef

Submitted to:Submitted to:Sir Abdul HannanSir Abdul Hannan

Dptt. Of Earth Sciences, University of Dptt. Of Earth Sciences, University of Sargodha, SargodhaSargodha, Sargodha

Geology of WaziristanGeology of WaziristanRegional Geology:•Waziristan forms the westernmost part of Himalayan fold belt in north Waziristan, northwest Pakistan.•It comprises a part of the Waziristan Ophiolite Complex, shelf-slope sedimentary rocks at the eastern tectonic contact of the ophiolite complex, and tertiary sequence unconformably overlaying the ophiolite.

• The Area fringes the northwestern margin of the Indian plate and is presently sandwiched between the Indian plate to the east and Afghan block to the west.

• The area from west to east comprises Afghan Kabul block, the Katawaz Basin, the ophiolite belt.

• The region is a mosaic of continental terranes broadly divisible into two parts. The terranes to the north of the Herat-Wanch-Akbayal-Kun Lun fault are parts of the Asam plate, whereas those occurring to the south of it are the dislodged fragment of Gondwana.

• The imprints of the upper Paleozoic orogeny are pervasive in the blocks to the north of Herat-Kun Lun fault, and are absent in in the blocks to it.

• The imprints of the upper Paleozoic orogeny are pervasive in the blocks to the north of Herat-Kun Lun fault, and are absent in in the blocks to it.

The Waziristan ophiolite

• The Waziristan complex, covering over 500 km 2 , was tectonically emplaced during the Paleocene to early Eocene. It consists of ultramafic rocks, gabbros, sheeted dikes, pillow lavas, and pelagic sediments--a typical ophiolite suite. 

• The podiform chromitites consist of aluminochromite (Cr 2 O 3 :49-61%) with subordinate chromian chlorite and/or chromian serpentine + magnetite. 

• In Cr-Al-Fe (super +3) + Ti space the chromites plot in the area of alpine chromites, but on other diagrams they overlap the fields of chromites from alpine and stratiform complexes. 

•  Many chromites are zoned with "ferrit-chromit" margins richer in Cr/(Cr + Al) and poorer in Mg/(Mg + Fe (super +2) ) than the unaltered cores.

• The chlorites are generally rich in SiO 2 and MgO and poor in Al 2 O 3 . It appears that during greenschist facies metamorphism (or alteration) diffusion of Mg, Al, and some Cr from the chromite margins toward the silicate matrix resulted in the development of ferrit-chromit and chlorite.

Ophiolite ComplexesOphiolite Complexes

Waziristan OphioliteWaziristan Ophiolite

Stratigraphy:

• Apart from petrography, little data are available on the metamorphic petrology of these complexes. Lithologies which characterise a typical ophiolite are present, but tectonic processes have commonly disrupted the stratigraphic sequence; they may better be termed as mega-melanges.

• The ophiolites display greenschist and lowgrade amphibolite facies assemblages developed locally or extensively: chlorite, actinolite, epidot~\-sodic plagioclase ± carbonate ± quartz after mafic volcanic and plutonic rocks, and serpentine ± carbonate ± talc ± chlorite after ultramafic rocks.

• It is not clear whether these parageneses are related to sea-floor emplacement or post-emplacement metamorphic regimes.

• Information is also lacking on the nature of metamorphism in the residual peridotites In Bela Ophiolite, the volcanic rocks and gabbros are spilitised and there are beds of serpentinites ± ophicalcite debris overlain by un metamorphosed sedimentary rocks.

• These may, therefore, have undergone sea-floor, metamorphism. Extensive and intensive alteration in volcanic (hosting promising copper mineralisation) and some plutonic rocks in the Waziristan Ophiolite may also have a similar origin.

• They regard that the sheeted dyke complex in Saplai Tor Ghar consists of dolerite, gabbro-diorite and pi agio granite emplaced in three stages.

• This Complex displays high-grade amphibolite to greenschist facies metamorphism and strong to weak foliation. The plagiogranite is considered as a product of wet melting of the dolerites, but no petro genetic details has been published.

Geochemistry and origin of Mn-Geochemistry and origin of Mn-deposits in the Waziristan ophiolite deposits in the Waziristan ophiolite

complexcomplex: : • The Waziristan ophiolite complex is located

along the western margin of the Indian plate in northwestern Pakistan.

• The Mn-deposits in the Saidgi and Shuidar areas are part of this ophiolite complex.

• These deposits, both banded and massive in nature, are hosted by metachert and are generally overlying metavolcanics.

• Braunite and cryptocrystalline quartz are the main constituents of the manganese ores in both areas. Hematite occurs in the Shuidar deposits as a minor phase. Metacherts are microcrystalline aggregates of microcrystalline quartz, chalcedony, and lesser hematite.

• Chemically, the studied Mn-deposits and associated metacherts are very similar to those formed by submarine hydrothermal effusive processes.

• The deposits originated along sea-floor spreading centers (mid-ocean ridges) within the Neo-Tethys Ocean and were later obducted as part of the Waziristan ophiolite complex.

GSA Penrose Conference on Ophiolites 1972GSA Penrose Conference on Ophiolites 1972

Mining

• The following minerals have been found in the area:• Copper associated with volcanics at Boya and Manzarkhel Spin

kamar (east of Shora-Algad)• Manganese associated with cherts• Chromite associated with serpentinites – There are only two

mining sites of chromite: at Syed Abad (Mohammad Khel); and Saidgi.

• Gold and diamond mines in Muhammad Khel• In some hills, ordinary stones are mined for construction of

buildings, etc.• Nowadays chromite and copper mining have occurred at

Razmak Malakan village.

Geology of Parachinar:

• The Parachinar quadrangle is underlain by sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Jurassic to Pliocene. In the northwest corner of the quadrangle, near the Afghan border, basalt sills intrude rocks which may be of Jurassic and Cretaceous age.

• The sedimentary rocks in that area are partially metamorphosed and in places are mineralized. The sedimentary rocks are intensely folded and faulted.

• The northern part of the region is underlain by Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Paleocene limestone, sandstone, and shale which have a total thickness of more than 5,000 ft.

• This sequence of rocks forms the highest mountains (Tirah Range) of the region; these mountains, in general, trend west and northwest across the northern third of the map area.

• South of the Tirah Range, Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene rocks occupy most of the lower tracts in the southern and eastern parts of the area.

• The Eocene rocks consist of limestone, clay, shale, sandstone, gypsum, and rock salt. The thickness of exposed Eocene rocks averages about 1,750 ft.

• The Miocene and Pliocene sequence consists of sandstone, shale, siltstone, conglomerate, and cobble beds totaling more than 13,600 ft in thickness.

STRATIGRAPHY:

• The regional stratigraphy of the Parachinar quadrangle is described from 11 widely spaced sequences measured by members of the project, and from five other sequences measured.

• The formations include sedimentary rocks of Jurassic to Pliocene age.

• The following table show the stratigraphy of Parachinar.

MINERAL RESOURCES:

• GYPSUM:• Gypsum deposits of Eocene age (Jatta

Gypsum) found in the Kohat quadrangle extend west for a short distance into the Parachinar quadrangle.

• The gypsum is banded green, light brown and white, and has intercalated green clay beds.

ROCK SALT:

• The Eocene rock salt deposits (Bahadur Khel Salt) found in the Kohat quadrangle continue west for a short distance into the Parachinar quadrangle.

• Maximum exposed thickness of the salt is 320 ft at the Bahadur Khel quarry (lat 33°09', long 70°58'E.) but it wedges out a short distance to the north and west.

COPPER:

• A deposit of chalcopyrite, at an altitude of 10,500 ft, north of Churoke Valley, is 1% miles N. 16° W. of the village of Gujarghuna.

• A 120-ft-high cliff of Cretaceous quartzite is impregnated and partially replaced by chalcopyrite in an area at least 150 ft long. Lateral extension of the mineralized rocks was not explored because of the nearly impassable cliff.

MANGANESE:

• A deposit of manganese ore in Khapianga hill (lat 33°20'N., long 70°32/E.), about 2 miles west of the village of Thai and 1 1/2 miles west of the Kurram River (pi. 1), was investigated by Klinger of the U.S. Geological Survey.

• . The ore is very hard and highly siliceous (50-60 percent chert and has an average manganese content of probably less than 25 percent, although small pockets of nearly pure manganese oxide are present.

THE ENDTHE END