Provenance of the Late Cretaceous Pab Formation, Sulaiman fold-thrust belt, Pakistan: Insight from the detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and sandstone petrography

This study provides an insight to the provenance of the Late Cretaceous Pab Formation exposed in the Sulaiman fold-thrust belt, Pakistan. The methodology adopted consisted of sandstone petrography and U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology. The sandstone petrography indicates craton interior and recycled orogenic provenances that points to an Indian provenance. The observed basaltic lithics were possibly derived from Rajmahal traps instead of Deccan traps, supported by younger detrital age. The detrital zircon ages exhibit a resemblance to the central and southern Indian provenances, while some detritus also matches the age spectrum of Tethyan Himalayas (similar to 400-800 Ma). Combining sandstone petrography and U-Pb geochronology results, it is suggested that in the Late Cretaceous time, the sediments were mainly fed by the southern and central sources of the Indian Craton. This provenace is possible, as during the Cretaceous time, thermal doming of Indian Plate in the southern part occurred when it was passing over a mantle hotspot. This movement over the hotspot uplifted the southeastern region and increased sediment supply from southern and central Indian provenances and deposited along the western margin as the Pab Formation.