The Architecture of The Northwestern Indian Plate Collision Zone

Abstract

In recent years the geology of the area west of the Indus River became more and more unveiled by geological field work and satellite image interpretation. This paper presents the results of a geological satellite image interpretation controlled through published results of local and occasionally regional geological fieldwork. The results can help for a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential and can lead to new target areas for future hydrocarbon and minerals prospecting. Starting during Late Cretaceous the oblique collision of the Indian Plate with the Afghan Block resulted mainly in shear along N-S oriented strike-slip faults in the south which changed to obduction and thrusting along the northern part of the Indian Plate. The oblique collision finally buried the northern part of the Indian Plate beneath the Himalayan thrusts generally oriented in an E-W direction. The sea-floor of Tethys II underwent severe deformation during the collision and was segmented from south to north into the Bela, Muslimbagh and Zhob ophiolites and finally into Waziristan-Igneous Complex.