The document summarizes the geology of Waziristan and Parachinar regions in northwest Pakistan. It describes the regional geology, including that Waziristan forms part of the Himalayan fold belt and contains an ophiolite complex from the Neo-Tethys Ocean. The ophiolite displays evidence of low-grade metamorphism and contains chromite and manganese deposits. Parachinar is underlain by sedimentary rocks from the Jurassic to Pliocene periods, including deposits of gypsum, rock salt, copper, and manganese.

1. In the Name of Allah, Merciful, Beneficent

2. Assignment:Assignment:
Geology of Waziristan & Parachinar and theirGeology of Waziristan & Parachinar and their
tectonic evidence and Mineralization.tectonic evidence and Mineralization.

3. Submitted By:Submitted By:
Salah ud din Wazir, Kaleem Ullah Marwat & Ch.Salah ud din Wazir, Kaleem Ullah Marwat & Ch.
Hassnain HaheefHassnain Haheef
Submitted to:Submitted to:
Sir Abdul HannanSir Abdul Hannan
Dptt. Of Earth Sciences, University ofDptt. Of Earth Sciences, University of
Sargodha, SargodhaSargodha, Sargodha

4. GeoloGy of WaziristanGeoloGy of Waziristan
Regional Geology:
•Waziristan forms the westernmost part of
Himalayan fold belt in north Waziristan,
northwest Pakistan.
•It comprises a part of the Waziristan
Ophiolite Complex, shelf-slope sedimentary
rocks at the eastern tectonic contact of the
ophiolite complex, and tertiary sequence
unconformably overlaying the ophiolite.

5. • The Area fringes the northwestern margin
of the Indian plate and is presently
sandwiched between the Indian plate to
the east and Afghan block to the west.
• The area from west to east comprises
Afghan Kabul block, the Katawaz Basin,
the ophiolite belt.
• The region is a mosaic of continental terranes broadly
divisible into two parts. The terranes to the north of the
Herat-Wanch-Akbayal-Kun Lun fault are parts of the
Asam plate, whereas those occurring to the south of it
are the dislodged fragment of Gondwana.

6. • The imprints of the upper Paleozoic
orogeny are pervasive in the blocks to the
north of Herat-Kun Lun fault, and are
absent in in the blocks to it.
• The imprints of the upper Paleozoic
orogeny are pervasive in the blocks to the
north of Herat-Kun Lun fault, and are
absent in in the blocks to it.

7. The Waziristan ophiolite
• The Waziristan complex, covering over
500 km 2
, was tectonically emplaced
during the Paleocene to early Eocene. It
consists of ultramafic rocks, gabbros,
sheeted dikes, pillow lavas, and pelagic
sediments--a typical ophiolite suite.
• The podiform chromitites consist of
aluminochromite (Cr 2 O 3 :49-61%) with
subordinate chromian chlorite and/or
chromian serpentine + magnetite.

8. • In Cr-Al-Fe (super +3) + Ti space the
chromites plot in the area of alpine
chromites, but on other diagrams they
overlap the fields of chromites from alpine
and stratiform complexes.
• Many chromites are zoned with "ferrit-
chromit" margins richer in Cr/(Cr + Al) and
poorer in Mg/(Mg + Fe (super +2) ) than
the unaltered cores.

9. • The chlorites are generally rich in
SiO 2 and MgO and poor in Al 2 O 3 . It
appears that during greenschist facies
metamorphism (or alteration) diffusion of
Mg, Al, and some Cr from the chromite
margins toward the silicate matrix resulted
in the development of ferrit-chromit and
chlorite.

10. Ophiolite ComplexesOphiolite Complexes

11. Waziristan OphioliteWaziristan Ophiolite

12. Stratigraphy:
• Apart from petrography, little data are
available on the metamorphic petrology of
these complexes. Lithologies which
characterise a typical ophiolite are
present, but tectonic processes have
commonly disrupted the stratigraphic
sequence; they may better be termed as
mega-melanges.

13. • The ophiolites display greenschist and
lowgrade amphibolite facies assemblages
developed locally or extensively: chlorite,
actinolite, epidot~-sodic plagioclase ±
carbonate ± quartz after mafic volcanic
and plutonic rocks, and serpentine ±
carbonate ± talc ± chlorite after ultramafic
rocks.
• It is not clear whether these parageneses
are related to sea-floor emplacement or
post-emplacement metamorphic regimes.

14. • Information is also lacking on the nature of
metamorphism in the residual peridotites
In Bela Ophiolite, the volcanic rocks and
gabbros are spilitised and there are beds
of serpentinites ± ophicalcite debris
overlain by un metamorphosed
sedimentary rocks.
• These may, therefore, have undergone
sea-floor, metamorphism. Extensive and
intensive alteration in volcanic (hosting
promising copper mineralisation) and
some plutonic rocks in the Waziristan
Ophiolite may also have a similar origin.

15. • They regard that the sheeted dyke
complex in Saplai Tor Ghar consists of
dolerite, gabbro-diorite and pi agio granite
emplaced in three stages.
• This Complex displays high-grade
amphibolite to greenschist facies
metamorphism and strong to weak
foliation. The plagiogranite is considered
as a product of wet melting of the
dolerites, but no petro genetic details has
been published.

16. Geochemistry and origin of Mn-Geochemistry and origin of Mn-
deposits in the Waziristan ophiolitedeposits in the Waziristan ophiolite
complexcomplex::
• The Waziristan ophiolite complex is
located along the western margin of the
Indian plate in northwestern Pakistan.
• The Mn-deposits in the Saidgi and
Shuidar areas are part of this ophiolite
complex.
• These deposits, both banded and massive
in nature, are hosted by metachert and
are generally overlying metavolcanics.

17. • Braunite and cryptocrystalline quartz are
the main constituents of the manganese
ores in both areas. Hematite occurs in the
Shuidar deposits as a minor phase.
Metacherts are microcrystalline
aggregates of microcrystalline quartz,
chalcedony, and lesser hematite.
• Chemically, the studied Mn-deposits and
associated metacherts are very similar to
those formed by submarine hydrothermal
effusive processes.

18. • The deposits originated along sea-floor
spreading centers (mid-ocean ridges)
within the Neo-Tethys Ocean and were
later obducted as part of the Waziristan
ophiolite complex.

19. GSA Penrose Conference on Ophiolites 1972GSA Penrose Conference on Ophiolites 1972

20. Mining
• The following minerals have been found in
the area:
• Copper associated with volcanics at
Boya and Manzarkhel Spin kamar (east of
Shora-Algad)
• Manganese associated with cherts
• Chromite associated with serpentinites –
There are only two mining sites of
chromite: at Syed Abad (Mohammad
Khel); and Saidgi.

21. Geology of Parachinar:
• The Parachinar quadrangle is underlain
by sedimentary rocks ranging in age from
Jurassic to Pliocene. In the northwest
corner of the quadrangle, near the Afghan
border, basalt sills intrude rocks which
may be of Jurassic and Cretaceous age.
• The sedimentary rocks in that area are
partially metamorphosed and in places are
mineralized. The sedimentary rocks are
intensely folded and faulted.

22. • The northern part of the region is
underlain by Jurassic, Cretaceous, and
Paleocene limestone, sandstone, and
shale which have a total thickness of more
than 5,000 ft.
• This sequence of rocks forms the highest
mountains (Tirah Range) of the region;
these mountains, in general, trend west
and northwest across the northern third of
the map area.

23. • South of the Tirah Range, Eocene,
Miocene, and Pliocene rocks occupy most
of the lower tracts in the southern and
eastern parts of the area.
• The Eocene rocks consist of limestone,
clay, shale, sandstone, gypsum, and rock
salt. The thickness of exposed Eocene
rocks averages about 1,750 ft.
• The Miocene and Pliocene sequence
consists of sandstone, shale, siltstone,
conglomerate, and cobble beds totaling
more than 13,600 ft in thickness.

24. STRATIGRAPHY:
• The regional stratigraphy of the
Parachinar quadrangle is described from
11 widely spaced sequences measured by
members of the project, and from five
other sequences measured.
• The formations include sedimentary rocks
of Jurassic to Pliocene age.
• The following table show the stratigraphy
of Parachinar.

26. MINERAL RESOURCES:
• GYPSUM:
• Gypsum deposits of Eocene age (Jatta
Gypsum) found in the Kohat quadrangle
extend west for a short distance into the
Parachinar quadrangle.
• The gypsum is banded green, light brown
and white, and has intercalated green clay
beds.

27. ROCK SALT:
• The Eocene rock salt deposits (Bahadur
Khel Salt) found in the Kohat quadrangle
continue west for a short distance into the
Parachinar quadrangle.
• Maximum exposed thickness of the salt is
320 ft at the Bahadur Khel quarry (lat
33°09', long 70°58'E.) but it wedges out a
short distance to the north and west.

28. COPPER:
• A deposit of chalcopyrite, at an altitude of
10,500 ft, north of Churoke Valley, is 1%
miles N. 16° W. of the village of
Gujarghuna.
• A 120-ft-high cliff of Cretaceous quartzite
is impregnated and partially replaced by
chalcopyrite in an area at least 150 ft long.
Lateral extension of the mineralized rocks
was not explored because of the nearly
impassable cliff.

29. MANGANESE:
• A deposit of manganese ore in
Khapianga hill (lat 33°20'N., long
70°32/E.), about 2 miles west of the village
of Thai and 1 1/2 miles west of the Kurram
River (pi. 1), was investigated by Klinger
of the U.S. Geological Survey.
• . The ore is very hard and highly siliceous (50-60
percent chert and has an average manganese content of
probably less than 25 percent, although small pockets of
nearly pure manganese oxide are present.

30. THE ENDTHE END