NEWLY DISCOVERED PALEOGENE DELTAIC SEQUENCE IN KATAWAZ BASIN, PAKISTAN, AND ITS TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS

In the Katawaz basin, Pakistan, the deltaic and turbidite facies of th e Khojak Formation are the Paleogene analogue of the modern Indus Rive r emptying into the Arabian Sea to form the Indus delta-fan system. Fa cies identified include upper continental slope to prodelta, distal to proximal distributary mouth bar, distributary channel, interdistribut ary bay, estuary, fluvial channel, natural levee, and flood plains of lower and upper delta plains. The proposed model is a fluvial-dominate d, wave-modified delta that axially fed Khojak submarine-fan turbidite s, exposed in the southwestern part of the basin. These sediments were eroded from the early Himalayan orogenic highlands and transported so uthwestward down the axis of the Katawaz remnant ocean basin.