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The Early Cambrian Khewra Sandstone, Salt Range, Pakistan: endorsing southern Indian provenance

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Abstract

The Early Cambrian continental Khewra Sandstone, Salt Range, Pakistan consists of lithics, feldspar and quartz in order of increasing abundance. Both mono- and polycrystalline quartz are observed. The feldspar is predominantly plagioclase and potassium feldspar; lithics represented are of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous origin. Accessory minerals present include micas (muscovite and biotite), opaque mineral grains, zircon, rutile, epidote, glauconite, chlorite and monazite. Ferruginous clays are present as matrix and the major cements are calcareous, siliceous and ferrous. The sandstone is grain supported, moderate to well sorted and rounded to well rounded with medium to high sphericity. Overall, the sandstone is texturally and mineralogically mature and is classified as sub-arkose and quartz arenite. Provenance from cratonic interior and recycled orogeny and the paleoflow indicate source from southeast. Petrographic analysis and field characteristics of the sandstone indicate that the source areas were characterized by uplift of high relief continental block. The rocks weathered from the source areas primarily included granites, together with metamorphic basement and sedimentary rocks. Regional palaeogeographic reconstructions indicate that the Khewra Sandstone detritus was derived from the Indian Craton to the south and southeast. The southeastern source area of the Khewra Sandstone attests to the Pan-African orogeny (∼500 ± 25 Ma) and contemporaneous large-scale diastrophism, which resulted in Gondwanic India upheaval, providing source for the Cambrian Khewra Sandstone of the Salt Range, Pakistan.

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Acknowledgments

This research work was funded by the National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Mubashir Jehangiri, Muhammad Hanif & Irfan U. Jan

  2. Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Muhammad Arif & Sajjad Ahmad

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

    Muhammad Arif

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  1. Mubashir Jehangiri
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  2. Muhammad Hanif
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  3. Muhammad Arif
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  4. Irfan U. Jan
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Correspondence to Muhammad Hanif.

Appendices

Appendix-1

Table 5 Modal composition of samples KG-1 to KG-8, Khewra Sandstone (Khewra Gorge Section)
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Table 6 Textural details of Khewra Sandstone (Khewra Gorge Section)
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Appendix-2

Table 7 Modal composition of samples NK-1 to NK-8, Khewra Sandstone (Nawabi Kas Section)
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Table 8 Textural details of Khewra Sandstone (Nawabi Kas Section)
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Appendix-3

Table 9 Modal composition of samples NN-1 to NN-4, Khewra Sandstone (Nilawahan Nala Section)
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Table 10 Textural details of Khewra Sandstone (Nilawahan Nala Section)
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Appendix-4

Table 11 Modal composition of samples PK-1 to PK-4, Khewra Sandstone (Pir Khara Section)
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Table 12 Textural details of Khewra Sandstone (Pir Khara Section)
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Jehangiri, M., Hanif, M., Arif, M. et al. The Early Cambrian Khewra Sandstone, Salt Range, Pakistan: endorsing southern Indian provenance. Arab J Geosci 8, 6169–6187 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1649-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1649-7

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