Bela ophiolite zone of southern Pakistan: Tectonic setting and associated mineral deposits

Research Article| March 01, 2000 Bela ophiolite zone of southern Pakistan: Tectonic setting and associated mineral deposits Nayyer Alam Zaigham; Nayyer Alam Zaigham 1Geological Survey of Pakistan, ST-17, Block-2, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, University Road, Karachi, Pakistan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Khalil A. Mallick Khalil A. Mallick 2Department of Geology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Nayyer Alam Zaigham 1Geological Survey of Pakistan, ST-17, Block-2, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, University Road, Karachi, Pakistan Khalil A. Mallick 2Department of Geology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 14 Jul 1997 Revision Received: 15 Dec 1998 Accepted: 06 Jan 1999 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2674 Print Issn: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2000) 112 (3): 478–489. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<478:BOZOSP>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 14 Jul 1997 Revision Received: 15 Dec 1998 Accepted: 06 Jan 1999 First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Nayyer Alam Zaigham, Khalil A. Mallick; Bela ophiolite zone of southern Pakistan: Tectonic setting and associated mineral deposits. GSA Bulletin 2000;; 112 (3): 478–489. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<478:BOZOSP>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Northwest of Karachi, the Bela ophiolite zone is the southernmost exposure in a string of three major ophiolitic occurrences in the Axial fold-thrust belt, which extends generally south and southwest from northern Pakistan to the Arabian Sea. Allochthonous and para-allochthonous Jurassic rock units are tectonically associated with this ophiolite zone. These units contain massive deposits of lead-zinc sulfides and barite, whereas the ophiolite zone hosts chromite, manganese, massive copper sulfide, and related mineral deposits. This study describes the regional tectonic setting and relationship to local geological features of the mineral deposits using gravity and aeromagnetic data. These geophysical studies provide a basis for interpreting the emplacement models and deformation history of the Bela ophiolite zone and associated Jurassic rocks. These models and their supporting geologic data suggest that hydrothermal solutions containing barite and massive sulfides rich in zinc and lead rose on the sea floor through crustal faults developed in areas of divergent tectonism and deposited these minerals in the Jurassic sedimentary sequence on the western margin of Indo-Pakistan subcontinental plate. The Cretaceous Neotethyan spreading center, however, gave rise to metallic mineralizations. The Tertiary convergence between the rifted western margin of the Indian subcontinent and the Neotethyan oceanic plate (a segment of the Arabian oceanic plate) obducted the Bela ophiolite zone (consisting of, e.g., chromite, manganese, massive copper sulfide) along the overriding edge of the subcontinental plate, which contained massive sulfides rich in zinc-lead and barite. These convergent phases through Paleocene to Pleistocene time intensely deformed the divergent products and created a geologically complex region. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.