TECTONIC ZONE:

Pakistan overlaps with the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.Sindh and Punjab are on
the north west part of Indian plates and Balochistan and KPK are within the Eirasian
plates which consists of Iranian plates,Middle East and Central Asia.Along the corners of
Indian plate lies northern areas and Azad Kashmir in this region.Earthquakes occur
because of the collision of two plates.

PLATE TECTONIC DEFINITION;

Plate tectonic basically define the motions of earth lithospehere.When plates collide,their
coliision describes the type of boundary that whether it is convergent,divergent or
transform boundary.All the activities like the earthquakes,volcanism,mountain building
occur along the motion of plates.

PLATE TECTONIC OF PAKISTAN:

Pakistan is one of the countries in the world where three basic tectonic activities
occur.The plates of PAkistan involve EURASIAN,INDIAN AND ARABIAN plates.

TECTONIC FRAMEWORK OF PAKISTAN:

Tectonic framework of Pakistan is divided into following segments:

(a)Northern Collision belt

(b)Subduction complex Association of Balochistan
(c)Chaman Transform Zone
(d)Zone of Ophiolites
(e)Platform Areas

NORTHERN COLLISON BELT:

The Himalayan orogeny has been produced by continental collision.The northern

collision belt is a major part of the himalayan.The northern collison belt consists of areas
forming the stratigraphy of Upper Indus Basin.Now we wiil discuss some of the
important features of this belt.

INDIAN FORELAND:

In Pakistan,rocks of Indian shield are found in Nagar Pakar and Kirana hills.

SALT RANGE:

At the corners of a decollement fault,salt range thrust and trans Indus Range are
found.Thid decollement zone are basically formed due to the evaporites.
POTWAR AND KOHAT PLATEAU:

Potwar and Kohat plateau is located to the north of Salt Range and Trans Indus Salt
Range with its peak in Parachinar Kala Chitta fold belt.

POTWAR PLATEAU:

The major features of Potwar plateau are northern folded zone and the platform zone.

KOHAT PLATEAU:

The Kohat plateau comprises of Kohat eocene salt zzone and Bannu depression..

HILL RANGES:

It comprises of mountain system starting from Hazara-Kashmir and ending to suleiman

ranges.

PLIO PLIESTOCENE BASINS:

Cambellpur and Peshawar basin are two important geological features in north of
Pakistan.These basins are located to the south of southern Kohistan and to the north of
Hill ranges.

SOUTHERN KOHISTAN:

It is located to the north of Plio-Plistocene basins.In southern Kohat mostly metamorphic

and intrusive rocks are found.

NANGA PARBAT MASSIF:

It is northern extension of crystalline rocks that are located deep into the Kohistan-
Ladakh arc and this mostlt constitue the western side of Himalayas.

KARAKORAM BLOCK:

It is located to the north of Main Karakoram Thrust and it is a territory of Gondwana

surroundings.

SUBDUCTION COMPLEX ASSOCIATION OF BALOCHISTAN:

In this subduction is founded arc-trench gapwhich is basically located to the west of

Chaman-Ornach Nal fault.Hamun-i-Mashkel comprises major part of Balochistan
dessert.Makran ranges are found in the sedimentary rock sequence deposited in the
marine environment and it is often termed as Makran accretionary prism.

VOLCANIC PLUTONIC ARC OF CHAGAI:

It is the subduction associated feature formed in Pakistan.It is extended about 500 kms in
east west and 150 kms in north south.

MAKRAN MARGIN:

It is commonly named as arc-trench gap and also the accretionary wedge of smaller parts
of rocks.Makran is surrounded by two strike slip faults named as Neh fault in the west
and Chaman transform zone.

CHAMAN TRANSFORM ZONE:

This is the zone with strike slip faults and some of the thrust components.It is connected
by Makran convergent margin in the south and Himalayan convergence zone in the
north.The extension of this zone extends from north to south.

ZONE OF OPHIOLITES:

The eastern part of the transform zone is surrounded by ophiolites.It mostly comprises of
Zhob,Waziristan,Muslimbagh and Bela ophiolites.

PLATFORM AREAS:

They are eastern features in Pakistan.Platform areas basically forms the south-east area of
the Lower Indus Basin.