Geological investigations at a high altitude, remote coal mine on the Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier, Karakoram Himalaya

The Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier is located one of the most remote, inaccessible, and inhospitable part of the Himalayan orogenic belt. In this region, two of the world's largest and most distinct mountain belts intersect; the Karakoram Himalaya (mainly in Pakistan) and the Hindu Kush (mainly in Afghanistan). Located at high altitude, in a remote part of Northwest Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, tribal villagers began excavating a series of adits into the steep mountain slopes, beneath glaciers, to extract valuable coal and carbonaceous shale resources. These were discovered in 1996, by the villagers, whilst hunting, and may represent some of the highest mine workings in the world. Small-scale mining operations subsequently developed using rudimentary mining methods and the mine became known as the Reshit or Pamir Coal Mine.The coal deposits are sedimentary, highly disturbed and tectonised, having been subjected to multiple phases of orogenic crustal deformation. The coal occurs as discrete lenses, several tens of metres in their lateral dimension, between steeply dipping, overturned and thrusted limestone beds of Jurassic age. The coal provided a vital, alternative source of fuel for the villagers since the local, traditional fuel supply was wood, which had become severely depleted, and imports of kerosene from neighbouring China and Afghanistan were too expensive.The mining operations experienced severe problems. These included several collapses of mine entrances, the failure of the adits to intersect the coal-bearing zones, the potential threat of geological hazards, mining-induced hazards and harsh high-altitude operating conditions, particularly during the winter months. International aid was provided to assist the villagers and a geological investigation was commissioned to investigate the problems at the mine.The geology of Karakoram Himalaya is relatively poorly understood. Until recently the region was restricted to foreign visitors and large areas of this mountain belt are virtually unmapped. Existing geological and topographic maps are difficult to obtain or are unavailable due to the close proximity of political frontiers, national borders and security reasons. The mineral resource potential of this region is virtually unknown. Few western geologists have visited this area due to its inaccessibility and political constraints, being situated close the frontiers with China, Afghanistan, and the disputed Pakistan and India territory of Kashmir.The Pakistan and Afghanistan border, is once again, now closed to foreign visitors. The objectives of this paper are to document the occurrence of coal and carbonaceous shale, at high altitude, in the Karakoram Himalaya and to provide details on the geology, geological hazards, reserves and labour-intensive mining operations. These observations and information may provide the basis for future mineral exploration, mining-geology, mining-engineering, feasibility studies and engineering geological investigation in the Karakoram Himalaya.     

Silicate‐oxide mineral chemistry of mafic–ultramafic rocks as an indicator of the roots of an island arc: The Chilas Complex,Kohistan (Pakistan)

The Chilas Complex is a major lower crustal component of the Cretaceous Kohistan island arc and one of the largest exposed slices of arc magma chamber in the world. Covering more than 8000 km², it reaches a current tectonic width of around 40 km. It was emplaced at 85 Ma during rifting of the arc soon after the collision of the arc with the Karakoram plate. Over 85% of the Complex comprises homogeneous, olivine‐free gabbronorite and subordinate orthopyroxene–quartz diorite association (MGNA), which contains bodies of up to 30 km² of ultramafic–mafic–anorthositic association (UMAA) rocks. Primary cumulate textures, igneous layering, and sedimentary structures are well preserved in layered parts of the UMAA in spite of pervasive granulite facies metamorphism. Mineral analyses show that the UMAA is characterized by more magnesian and more aluminous pyroxene and more calcic plagioclase than those in the MGNA. High modal abundances of orthopyroxene, magnetite and ilmenite (in MGNA), general Mg–Fe–Al spatial variations, and an MFA plot of whole‐rock analyses suggest a calc‐alkaline origin for the Complex. Projection of the pyroxene compositions on the Wo–En–Fs face is akin to those of pyroxenes from island arcs gabbros. The presence of highly calcic plagioclase and hornblende in UMAA is indicative of hydrous parental arc magma. The complex may be a product of two‐stage partial melting of a rising mantle diaper. The MGNA rocks represent the earlier phase melting, whereas the UMAA magma resulted from the melting of the same source depleted by the extraction of the earlier melt phase. Some of the massive peridotites in the UMAA may either be cumulates or represent metasomatized and remobilized upper mantle. The Chilas Complex shows similarities with many other (supra)subduction‐related mafic–ultramafic complexes worldwide.     

藏南特提斯喜马拉雅带中段二叠纪-白垩纪的火山活动(Ⅰ):分布特点及其意义

在野外实地考察和追索的基础上,详细厘定了特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来火山岩的分布特点和迁移规律。结果表明,在特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来的地层系统中,从二叠纪→三叠纪→侏罗纪→白垩纪,共有11个层位含规模不等的火山岩,它们以透镜体、薄夹层或以块状玄武岩、玄武质安山岩等形式产出于不同地层系统中;从二叠纪→早中三叠世→晚三叠世→侏罗纪和白垩纪,具有由西向东、从南→北→南→北的迁移规律。这些火山活动的发现和厘定,对填补特提斯喜马拉雅带火山岩研究的空白,了解陆下岩石圈地幔和软流圈地幔之间的相互作用和新特提斯洋盆的形成演化都具有一定的指示意义。     

Environmental pollution impact on water and sediments of Kumaun lakes, Lesser Himalaya, India: a comparative study

A study of the water and sediment chemistry of the Nainital, Bhimtal, Naukuchiyatal and Sattal Lakes of Kumaun, has shown that the water of these lakes are alkaline and that electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid and bicarbonate HCO ₃ ⁻ are much higher in Nainital than in the other three lakes. The weathering of limestone lithology and anthropogenic pollution, the latter due to the very high density of population in the Nainital valley, are the primary sources of enhanced parameters. The low pH of Nainital Lake water is due to low photosynthesis and enhanced respiration, increasing CO₂ in the water and the consequent enhancement of Ca²⁺ and HCO ₃ ⁻ . The dissolved oxygen in Nainital Lake is less compared to other lakes, indicating anoxic conditions developing at the mud–water interface at depth. The PO ₄ ³⁻ content in Nainital is higher (124 μg/l), showing an increasing trend over time leading to eutrophic conditions. The trace metals (Cu, Co, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Sr) are present in greater amounts in the water of Nainital Lake than in the other three lakes, though Fe and Cr are high in Bhimtal and Fe in Naukuchiyatal. The higher abundance is derived from the leaching of Fe–Mg from metavolcanic and metabasic rocks. Most of the heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Fe, Sr, and Zn) significantly enrich the suspended sediments of the lakes compared to the bed sediments which due to their adsorption on finer particles and owing to multiple hydroxide coating and organic content, except for Fe, which is enriched in the bed sediments. The high rate of sedimentation, 11.5 mm/year in Nainital, compared to Bhimtal with 4.70 mm/year, Naukuchiyatal with 3.72 mm/year, and Sattal with 2.99 mm/year, has resulted in shorter residence time, poor sorting of grains, and lesser adsorption of heavy metals, leading consequently, their depletion in the bed sediments of Nainital Lake.     

Northward cooling of the Kuncha nappe and downward heating of the Lesser Himalayan autochthon distributed to the south of Mt. Annapurna,western central Nepal

We investigated the tectonothermal history of the Lesser Himalayan sediments (LHS), which are tectonically overlain by the Higher Himalayan Crystalline. Fission‐track dating and the track length measurement of detrital zircons obtained from the Kuncha nappe and the Lesser Himalayan autochthonous sediments in western central Nepal revealed northward cooling of the nappe and possible downward heating of the autochthon by the overlying hot nappe. Nine zircon fission‐track (ZFT) ages of the nappe showed northward‐younging linear distribution from 11.6 Ma in the front at Tamghas, 6 Ma in the central at Naudanda, and 1.6 Ma in the northernmost point at Tatopani. Thermochronological invert calculation of the ZFT length elucidated that the Kuncha nappe gradually cooled down (30 °C/Myr) at the front and rapidly cooled down (120 °C/Myr) at the root zone. In contrast, the ZFT age of the Chappani Formation, located just beneath the Kuncha nappe in the central part, demonstrated a totally reset age of 6.8 Ma, whereas the Virkot Formation, structurally far from the nappe, yielded a partially reset age of 457.3 Ma. This suggests that the LHS underwent downward heating, resulting in a thermal print on the upper part of the LHS; however, the thermal effect was not sufficient to anneal ZFT totally in the deeper part. Presently, the nappe cover is eroded and denuded from this area. Detrital zircons from the Chappani Formation in Tansen area to the south of the Bari Gad Fault did not show any evidence of annealing, suggesting that nappe never covered the LHS distributed to the south of the fault.     

Metallogeny of the Baiyangping Lead‐Zinc Polymetallic Ore Concentration Area,Northern Lanping Basin of Yunnan Province,China

The Lanping Basin in the Nujiang‐Lancangjiang‐Jinshajiang (the Sanjiang) area of northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is an important part of eastern Tethyan metallogenic domain. This basin hosts a number of large unique sediment‐hosted Pb‐Zn polymetallic deposits or ore districts, such as the Baiyangping ore concentration area which is one of the representative ore district. The Baiyangping ore concentration area can be divided into the east and west ore belts, which were formed in a folded tectogene of the India‐Asia continental collisional setting and was controlled by a large reverse fault. Field observations reveal that the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary strata were outcropped in the mining area, and that the orebodies are obviously controlled by faults and hosted in sandstone and carbonate rocks. However, the ore‐forming elements in the east ore belt are mainly Pb‐Zn‐Sr‐Ag, while Pb‐Zn‐Ag‐Cu‐Co elements are dominant in the west ore belt. Comparative analysis of the C‐O‐Sr‐S‐Pb isotopic compositions suggest that both ore belts had a homogeneous carbon source, and the carbon in hydrothermal calcite is derived from the dissolution of carbonate rock strata; the ore‐forming fluids were originated from formation water and precipitate water, which belonged to basin brine fluid system; sulfur was from organic thermal chemical sulfate reduction and biological sulfate reduction; the metal mineralization material was from sedimentary strata and basement, but the difference of the material source of the basement and the strata and the superimposed mineralization of the west ore belt resulted in the difference of metallogenic elements between the eastern and western metallogenic belts. The Pb‐Zn mineralization age of both ore belts was contemporary and formed in the same metallogenetic event. Both thrust formed at the same time and occurred at the Early Oligocene, which is consistent with the age constrained by field geological relationship.     

Major element geochemical variations in a Miocene-Pliocene Siwalik paleosol sequence: Implications to soil forming processes in the Himalayan foreland basin

Elemental mobility based on major element geochemistry from 58 horizons related to six paleosols profiles in a typical Miocene — Pliocene Siwalik fluvial sequence in the NW Himalaya has been reported here. The paleosols developed over felsic parent material of fine to medium grained sandstone indicate notable enrichment of sesquioxides (Al₂O₃ = 29 % and Fe₂O₃ = 54 %) depicting significant leaching and dissolution. The depletion of base cations (mean wt% of Na₂O = 0.24; CaO = 0.51) and SiO₂ (mean wt% = 63.6) in the pedogenic layers and its enrichment in the parental material (mean wt% of Na₂O = 0.44; CaO = 1.3; SiO₂ = 70.1) shows a good gradient of elemental mobility due to pedogenesis. Bivariate plots of the base ratios (Na₂O/K₂O, CaO/K₂O, and MgO/K₂O) vs. Al₂O₃ reveal independent distribution for parent material, pedogenic horizons and the incipient zone indicating the gradual addition/removal of immobile/mobile elements with varying pedogenesis. Discontinuous and segmented pattern of the geochemical parameters enables discrimination of multiple pedogenic episodes and recognition of soil welding processes in the multistorey composite paleosols. We also test the applicability of the geochemical climofunctions: the Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) and Mean Annual Temperature (MAT); that demands more data for calibration in the Siwalik paleosols.     

利用GPS观测资料分析2015年尼泊尔MS8.1地震震前及震后形变

通过对尼泊尔MS8.1地震前后附近区域GPS台站记录到的观测数据进行处理,获得了震区以及中国青藏高原地区地震前后GPS站点速度场以及震后形变场。震前速度场显示,喜马拉雅构造带整体呈现出约16 mm/a的压缩特征。同时,震前喜马拉雅构造带根据形变特征可分为东、中、西3段,其地震发生在中段,主要以北向挤压为主,而东西两段分别具有逆时针旋转和顺时针旋转的特征。震后GPS站点形变场显示,此次地震对中国新疆、青海、西藏等地区的影响较大,其最大震后位移达20 mm左右。震后速度场显示,本次地震对尼泊尔地区以及中国藏南地区的构造形变影响较大,主要表现为喜马拉雅构造带的年推挤速度减小,藏南地区的南北向运动速率减小,而东西向速度有增大的现象。这一现象可能对藏南地区的走滑断层有较大影响。     

Generation of Muscovite/ Two-Mica Granil and Intracontinental Subduction

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Evidence for the thrust emplacement of the ‘Lesser Himalaya’ Chur granite,Himachal Pradesh

Numerous peraluminous and porphyritic granitic bodies and augen gneisses of granitic compositions occur in the nappe sequences of the Lower Himalaya. They are Proterozoic-to-lower Paleozoic in age and have been grouped into the ‘Lesser Himalaya granite belt’. The mode of emplacement and tectonic significance of these granites are as yet uncertain but they are generally considered to be sheet-like intrusions into the surrounding rocks. The small and isolated granite body (the Chur granite) that crops out around the Chur peak in the Himachal Himalaya is one of the more famous of these granites. Several lines of evidence have been adduced to show that the Chur granite has a thrust (the Chur thrust) contact with the underlying metasedimentary sequence (locally called the Jutogh Group). The Chur granite with restricted occurrence at the highest topographic and structural levels represents an erosional remnant of a much larger sub-horizontal thrust sheet. The contact relations between the country rocks and many of the other granite and granitic augen gneisses in the Lesser Himalaya belt are apparently similar to that of the Chur granite suggesting that at least some of them may also represent thrust sheets.