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Structural and Thermal Evolution of the Karakoram Crust

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Structural and Thermal Evolution of the Karakoram Crust Journal of the Geological Society, London, Vol. 148, 1991, pp. 65-82, 11 figs, 3 tables. Printed in Northern Ireland Structural and thermal evolution of the Karakoram crust M.P. SEARLE' & R.TIRRUL2 (deceased) 'Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK. Present address: Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PR, UK %eological Survey of Canada, 588 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, KIA OE4 Abstract: Prior to the Eocene (c.50 Ma) collision of the Indian and Asian plates, the southern margin of Asia along the Karakoram plate was an Andean-type margin dominated by tonalitic-granodioritic magmatism of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous age (Hushe gneiss, Muztagh Tower gneiss and K2 ortho- gneiss)and associated low pressure andalusite, staurolite and garnet grade metamorphism (Ml). Following India-Asia collision, crustal shortening, thickening and regional Barrovian metamorphism (M2) occurred between 50-37 Ma. Thermobarometry of kyanite-grade metapelites indicate burial to depths of around 30-35 km. Simultaneous solution of the garnet-biotite geothermometer with the garnet-muscovite-biotite-plagioclase and garnet-AI,SiO,-quartz-plagioclase geobarometersindi- cates peak M2 P-T conditions of 696 f 20 "C at 8.6 f 0.7 kbar (860 MPa). Temperatures may have exceeded 700°C in sillimanite-grade metapelites to produce in situ partial melting and leucogranitic meltpods. Peak M2 metamorphism occurred prior to 37f0.8Ma, the crystallization age of the Mango Gusar two-mica granite pluton which cross-cuts syn-metamorphic deformation fabrics. Post-M2 thermal relaxation followed from 37-25 Ma, after which localized high heat concentra- tions at the baseof the thickened crust caused widespread crustal melting and intrusionof the Baltoro granitebatholith at 25-21 Ma. A high temperature-low pressure thermal aureole (M3) along the northern contact is synchronous with the 21 f 0.5 Ma zircon age of the Baltoro granite. Andalusite hornfelsalong the northern contact of thebatholith (Mitre thermal aureole) indicates maximum pressures of 3.75kbar (375 MPa). A 75 "C increase of temperaturein kyanite-sillimanite grade gneisses approaching the southern granite contact of the Baltoro granite is interpreted as the thermal upwarping of pre-37 Ma Barrovian metamorphic M2 isograds around the 21 Ma contact aureole M3 isotherms. The Karakoram Range (Fig. 1) is a linear belt of extremely which haveclosing temperaturesabove 500°C ataround high mountains, resulting from recent rapid uplift of thick 21 Ma in Nepal (Hubbard & Harrison 1989), synchronous (c. 65-70 km) continental crust (Marussi 1964; Desio 1964; with leucogranite emplacement (LeFort et al. 1987). Searle Desio & Zanettin 1970; Searle et al.1986, 1988; Zeitler et al. (1988, 1989) demonstratedthat crustal thickening, 1985; Molnar 1988). High grade Barrovian facies metamor- regionalmetamorphism andanatexis was happening phic rocks are exposed within the Karakoram metamorphic simultaneously bothnorth (Karakoram) and south (High complex in the south, and the Karakoram batholith includes Himalaya) of theIndus suture zone (ISZ) approximately the massive (at least 100km X 1-20 km) Miocene Baltoro 20-30Ma after initial collision. In the western Himalaya of plutonicunit, which consists of monzogranitesand Pakistan, regional metamorphism appears to be somewhat leucogranites with late-stage leucogranitic dyke swarms. The older (prior to 40Ma; Treloar et al. 1989b) and affected by regional metamorphic rocks aredominantly Oligocene syn- to post-metamorphic folding of isograds and thrusting (Searle et al. 1989), and the Baltoro granite has yielded a (Treloar et al.1989a; Searle & Rex1989). Zeitler (1985) precise U-Pb zircon Miocene age of 21 f 0.5 Ma (Parrish & and Chamberlain et al. (1989) have shown that the Nanga Tirrul 1989). Parbat-HaramoshRange has an extremelyrapid uplift- Incontinental collision mountain belts, recent studies tectonic denudation rate (up to 7 mm per year) during the have shown that the thermal evolution has involved several last 10 Ma, and has been exhumed or eroded by 5-10 km 'phases' of metamorphismat different P-T conditions.In relative to the Kohistan arc rocks adjacent to it. Preliminary thecentral Nepal Himalaya and Garhwal region of India fission track and Ar-Ar data from the Hunza Karakoram, thereare two distinct metamorphicevents: anearly summarized by Rex et al. (1988), also indicate rapid recent Barrovianevent (Ml), anda later high temperaturebut uplift-exhumation rates along the Karakoram. lower pressure Buchan event (M2) (Hodges et al. 1988a,b; The N-S striking Nanga Parbat-Haramosh Range of the Hodges & Silverberg1988). Following Eocene Barrovian HighHimalaya and the ENE-WSW striking Karakoram metamorphism, the P-T evolution of this part of the High (Fig. 2) therefore are both characterized by young cooling Himalayarecords 'erosion-controlled'an uplift path ages andare structurally controlled by youngbreakback (England & Richardson 1977) whichwas followed by a thrust faults. The Liacharthrust (Butler & Prior 1988) second phase of burial with heating of the upper part of the bounds the western margin of the Nanga Parbat culmination slabdue tothe intrusion of leucogranites(Hodges et al. andthrusts deep crustal gneisses over Quaternary river 1988a,b) . gravels of theIndus River (Owen 1988; Butler & Prior Timing of metamorphism in the High Himalaya (Fig. 1) 1988). The Main KarakoramThrust (MKT) is a late has been constrained by 40Ar-39Ar dating of hornblendes, Tertiary breakback thrust whichis responsible for the recent 65 Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jgs/article-pdf/148/1/65/4891155/gsjgs.148.1.0065.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 66 M. P.SEARLE & R. TIRRUL INDIA Fig. 1. Geological sketch mapof central Asia showing the western Himalaya, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Pamirs, Tien Shan and Kun Lun mountain ranges. The stippled areas show the approximate extentof post-collisional regional metamorphic rocks north (Karakoram) and south (High Himalaya) of the main collision zone, the Indus suture zone(ISZ). The Shyok suture zone(SSZ) marks the southern limit of Asian plate rocks in the Karakoram. Kohistan and Ladakhare dominantly accreted island-arc and batholith terranes separating Indian plate gneissesof Nanga Parbat (NP)-Haramosh (H) from the Karakoram plate. PS is the Peshawar Basin. K is the Kashmir intermontane basin. MCT is the Main Central thrust; MBT is the Main Boundary thrust. uplift of the central Karakoram (Searle et al. 1987, 1989), the India-Asia collision. Four field seasonswere spent although it mayhave also been active during late mappingand sampling during expeditions tothe Biafo Cretaceous-Palaeogene times. glaciersystem (1984), Baltoro glaciersystem upto K2, Thispaper summarizes the geologicsetting and Masherbrum and the Gasherbrum Range (1985), the Hushe petrography of the Karakoram metamorphic complex north valley (andAling, S. Masherbrum,Gondoro, Charakusa of the two major Tethyan suture zones in northern Pakistan glaciers) (1986), and the Biale-Trango Towers area (1988) (Figs 1 & 2). Pressure, temperature and time constraints on (Fig. 2). The tragic death of Rein Tirrul in 1987 has meant metamorphismare summarized, and the cooling-uplift- that this paper was written by the first author. Much of the tectonicexhumation history of differentcrustal blocks fieldwork and many of the ideas in this contribution were ascertained. A tectono-thermal evolution of the Karakorarn accomplished or discussed jointly by both authors. crust is thenpresented based on four distinct phases of metamorphism. Finally we discuss how these metamorphic data,combined withgeochronological constraints can be used to constrain thestructure and evolution of theThe Karakoram mountains are situated north of the Shyok Karakoramcrust in thecontext of thewider implications of suturezone, the Ladakh-Kohistan arc-batholith andthe Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jgs/article-pdf/148/1/65/4891155/gsjgs.148.1.0065.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 -KEY KARAKORAMMETAMORPHIC COMPLEX Hushe gneiss NORTHERNKARAKORAM ZONE m ,.,.,,:,.>:,:,, . , UndifferentiatedMetamorphlc rocks a K2 gnelss CA’?. (Ganschen.Dumordu.Askole unlts) m Dassu gneiss GasherbrumGroup (carbonates) SHYOKSUTURE ZONE Ealtoro Fm (shales1 m 0PalaeozoIc-L.Mesozoic sediments KARAKORAMBATHOLITH - Rakaposhl volcanic Group MuztaghTower unlt KOHISTAN-LADAKHBATHOLITH Ealtoro Plutonlcunlt 0 m Granodiorlte,tonaIlte with leucogranitedykes. + Masherbrumcomplex m Metamorphlcscreens Hunza Plutonicunlt HIGHHIMALAYA ZONE 0Nanga Parbat gnelss 2. Geological map of the central Karakoram (box on Fig. 1) from the Hispar glacier In the west to the Baltoro glacier, Hushe valley in the . MGG is the Mango Gusar granite; CLG is the Chingkang-la granite; MKT is the Main Karakoram thrust. Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jgs/article-pdf/148/1/65/4891155/gsjgs.148.1.0065.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 68 M. P. SEARLE & R. TIRRUL Indussuture zone (Fig. 1).The Indus suture zone is the assemblages are present throughout the area. Both kyanite- major suture dividing the Indian plate from the Karakoram andsillimanite-bearing pelites arecommon, and around andLhasa blocks. It closed at c. 50 Ma, according to Chakpo, 10 km west of Askole, the assemblage sillimanite- sedimentological and structural data in Ladakh (Searleet al. garnet-muscovite-biotite-plagioclase-quartz is present. 1987, 1988). The Shyok suture zone (also previously termed The muscovite-outreaction can bedemonstrated
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