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Characteristics and prediction of paleo-environment of Eocene Jatta Gypsum, Kohat Basin, Pakistan

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Abstract

The Kohat Basin is situated in the Himalayan foothills. The thick-bedded marine evaporite sequences formed when the Tethys Sea has been closed as a result of the Indian and Eurasian plate’s collision during the Eocene. The Jatta Gypsum was thoroughly investigated, with its lithofacies and microfacies analysis, depositional conditions, and diagenetic processes from two well-exposed geological sections, i.e., Jatta Ismail Khel section (30 m thick) and Nari Panos section (25 m thick). The main objectives of the current study have been evaluated by thin section analysis, sample analysis, SEM, XRD, XRF, and isotope analysis. The microfacies are characterized by gypsums such as alabastrine, granoblastic porphyroblastic, chevron, granular, vein, and satin spar. All sources show that gypsum has been deposited in shallow water (lagoon environment). Gypsum, celestine, anhydrite, dolomite, calcite, and halite are significant minerals. Overall, the composition of rock indicates gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) is the dominant mineral with minor anhydrite and other constituents like Sr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Fe, Al, and Si as impurities, which indicates that gypsum has been exposed to the surface by tectonic activity. And meteoric water with impurities like Mn, Mg, Sr, and K has percolated through fractures and changes the rock composition. The high contents of Sr (up to 5550 ppm) indicate that the depositional environment was significantly influenced by diagenetic fluids and had a very high salinity. δ18O and δ34S isotope values indicate that gypsum has been deposited in non-marine continental origin (lagoon), especially in hot and humid conditions.

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All data included in this study are available upon request by contacting the corresponding author. Data is transparent and available from the first author.

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Acknowledgements

The research has been started at the China University of Petroleum (East China). We would like to thank our fellows for their valuable guidance, advice, discussions, and professional support in the present research. Also, we would like to thank CSC for their financial support during the whole research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, 266580, China

    Hassanat Ullah, Zhong Jianhua, Shahab Aman e Room & Zeeshan Zafar

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, 40100, Pakistan

    Muhammad Kashif

  3. Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 22567, Pakistan

    Saif Ur Rehman

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  1. Hassanat Ullah
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All authors contribute to the writing, interpretation, removing of grammatical mistakes, and software work.

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Correspondence to Muhammad Kashif.

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Ullah, H., Jianhua, Z., Kashif, M. et al. Characteristics and prediction of paleo-environment of Eocene Jatta Gypsum, Kohat Basin, Pakistan. Arab J Geosci 16, 364 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11415-z

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