Ypresian–Lutetian platform evolution in the Indus Basin, Southwestern Pakistan: An interplay between local and regional tectonic changes

The present investigation aims to analyze the depositional environment, sequence stratigraphy, and geochemistry of the Early–Middle Eocene succession in the Laki Range of the Southern Indus Basin, Pakistan. The sequence is subsequently correlated with other sections within the Southern Indus Basin, Central Indus Basin, Upper Indus Basin, and Hazara Basin in Pakistan. For this study, the Lakhra and Laki formations were sampled from four sections in the Laki Range. Based on detailed outcrop observations, eight lithofacies were identified including four clastic lithofacies (CLF-1 to 4) and four limestone lithofacies (LLF-1 to 4). Similarly, based on detailed petrographic examination, seven microfacies were identified in limestone units. Considering the biotic paleoecology, facies texture, and chemical composition, depositional environments were assigned to the microfacies and lithofacies. All the microfacies, and the shale and sandstone lithofacies (CLF-1 and CLF-4) represent shallow inner to deeper outer-shelf settings whereas the other two lithofacies (CLF-2 and CLF-3) represent deltaic and tidal flat settings, respectively. All the microfacies and lithofacies information was used to establish sequence stratigraphy for the studied strata. The top of the Lakhra Formation and the whole of the Laki Formation in the Bara Nala Section (BNS) represent two complete, and two partial, third-order sequences, further divided into fourth order and small-scale cycles. The sequence's development is primarily influenced by regional and local tectonics. The regional correlation of the Indus Basin and Hazara Basin indicates that the regional basin's bathymetry and resultant depositional sequence were significantly influenced by the Himalayan Orogeny. The regional depositional pattern indicates that subsequent to India–Asia collision, the closure of eastern Tethys took place in a temporal succession from northwestern to the southwestern parts of the Indus Basin. In the Central Indus Basin, marine environments persisted until the Priabonian Stage (SBZ20) compared to those of the Upper (SBZ11–12) and Southern (SBZ13–14) Indus basins. This study offers valuable insights into both the local and regional depositional frameworks and the influence of local and regional tectonics on a carbonate platform evolution.