WHAT IS MFT

MFT or Main Frontal Thrust is a first fault of Himalayas which uplifted sedimentary strata of Cambrian-
Eocene against Mollase of Neogene age during collision of Indo-Pakistani Plate. This Fault is present south
of Salt Rang and Tran-Indus Ranges in Pakistan and dipping northwest in direction. It brings folded and
thrusted sedimentary rocks in hanging wall onto monlinal strata of Punjab and Jehlum Plains.

WHAT IS MBT

MBT or main boundary Thrust is a fault present in the north in Indian Plate that separates Indus and
Ganges basin from Lesser Himalayas. This fault is a major one and strikes generally E_W in direction and
dipping north ward. (see Figure). In Pakistan it separates south laying Potwar and Kohat Basins from Lesser
Himalayas in north. It is also known as major tectonic boundary formed during Himalayan deformation
and has Neogene age.

The capital city Islamabad is present along this fault and Margallah Range is uplifted block of MBT forming
lesser Himalayas.

WHAT IS MCT

MCT or Main Central Thrust is a fault which separates lesser Himalayas from Higher Himalayas. This fault
also separate metasedimentary rocks of lesser Himalayas from crystalline and metamorphic rocks of
Higher Himalayas.

WHAT IS MMT

MMT or Main Mantle Thrust is a fault formed during Himalayan collision and brings deep crustal rocks of
Indian shield on to surface.

WHAT IS MKT

MKT or Main Karakoram Thrust is a fault formed during collision of Indo-Pakistani Plate with Eurasian
and it serrate Himalayas from Karakorum Range in north.

WHAT IS INDUS-TSANGPO SUTURE ZONE

The Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITZS) defines the areas of collision between the Indian plate and the
Kohistan-Ladakh arc in the western Himalayas and the Tibetan Lhasa block in the east (Windley 1995). It
also marks the zone along which the Tethys Ocean was consumed by subduction processes. This Zone is
great structure which separates Asian lithosphere from the Indian plate.
WHAT IS HIMALAYA AND WHAT ARE DIVSIONS OF HIMALAYAS.

The Himalaya is a classic example of an orogenic system created by continent–continent collision.

Himalayas are mountains present in the north of Indo-Pakistani Plate and are a result of collision with
Eurasian Plate during Paleogene-Neogene tectonic activity. The term Himalayan orogen is also referred
to define this mountain range.

HIMALAYAN SUBDIVISION

Himalayas are divided into four zones based on Geological change and elevation from north to south and
are named as follows. These zone are separated by major faults.

1. TRANS HIMALAYAS
2. TETHYIAN HIMALAYAS
3. HIGHER HIMALAYAS
4. LESSER HIMALAYAS
5. SUB HIMALAYAS

1. TRANS HIMALYAS;

This is the northern most zone of Himalayan complex and present in south of Karakorum Range. It is
separated by MKT (main Karakorum Thrust) from Karakorum Range. This region is characterized by
crystalline zone, island Arcs (Kohistan in west and Laddakh in east) and partly covered by mollase
sediments. In the south it is seprated from Higher and Tetyian Himalayas by a boundary fault called MMT
(Main Mantle thrust). At this junction a zone of ophiolite is reported as an obducted floor of Tethys sea
and this is also referred as Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITSZ).

2. TETHYIAN OR TIBETAN HIMALAYAS

The Tethyan Himalayas are located to the south of the ITSZ or MMT. They consist of thick, 10-17km,
marine sediments that were deposited on the continental shelf and slope of the Indian continent. The
sedimentary rocks of Tethyan Himalayas range from Precambrian to Eocene in age suggesting deposition
from Paleo and Neo-Tethys Sea.

3. HIGHER OR GREATER HIMALYAS;

The Higher Himalayas are also known as the Central Crystalline zone, comprised of deformed
metamorphic rocks and known as the axis of orogenic uplift. The Higher Himalaya (crystalline complex
consists of gneisses and aplitic granites. Structurally Higher Himalayas are present in the Hanging wall of
MCT (Main Central Thrust). Rocks of Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex are 800-480 Ma old.

4. LESSER HIMALYAS

The Lesser Himalayas lies in between the Sub-Himalayas and Higher Himalayas separated by the Main
Boundary Thrust (MBT) and the Main Central Thrust (MCT) respectively. The total width ranges from 60–
80 km. The Lesser Himalayas is made up mostly of the unfossiliferous sedimentary and metasedimentary
rocks; such as shale, sandstone, conglomerate, slate, phyllite, schist, quartzite, limestone and dolomite.
The rocks range in age from Precambrian to Miocene. The geology is complicated due to folding, faulting
and thrusting and are largely unfossiliferous.

The Kohat, kalachitta and Margallah Ranges are southern exposures of lesser Himalayas in Pakistan.

5.SUB HIMALAYAS:

The Sub Himalayas is broad region of sedimentary and metasedimentary sequences of Pre-Cambrian to
Neogene Mollase present in various subbasins of Indus and Ganges. Structurally it lies in the Hanging wall
of MFT (Main Frontal Thrust). In Pakistan MFT crosses along Salt Range. South of this Sub Himalayas the
monoclonal from Indus and Ganges are present which are dipping towards MFT. SubHimalyas are
structurally composed of many folds and thrusts formed during collision.