Timing of collision of the Kohistan–Ladakh Arc with India and Asia: Debate

The Kohistan–Ladakh Arc in the Himalaya–Karakoram region represents a complete section of an oceanic arc where the rocks from mantle to upper crustal levels are exposed. Generally this arc was regarded as of Jurassic–Cretaceous age and was welded to Asia and India by Northern and Southern Sutures respectively. Formation of this arc, timings of its collisions with Asia and India, and position of collision boundaries have always been controversial. Most authors consider that the arc collided with Asia first during 102–75 Ma and then with India during 55–50 Ma, whereas others suggest that the arc collided with India first at or before 61 Ma, and then the India–arc block collided with Asia ca 50 Ma. Recently published models of the later group leave several geological difficulties such as an extremely rapid drifting rate of the Indian Plate (30 ± 5 cm/year) northwards between 61–50 Ma, absence of a large ophiolite sequence and accretionary wedge along the Northern Suture, obduction of ophiolites and blueschists along the Southern Suture, and the occurrence of a marine depositional environment older than 52 Ma in the Indian Plate rocks south of the Southern Suture. We present a review based on geochemical, stratigraphic, structural, and paleomagnetic data to show that collision of the arc with Asia happened first and with India later.