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The Record of Himalayan Erosion Preserved in the Sedimentary Rocks of the Hatiatrough of the Bengal Basin and the Chittagong Hill Tracts,Bangladesh Y

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The Record of Himalayan Erosion Preserved in the Sedimentary Rocks of the Hatiatrough of the Bengal Basin and the Chittagong Hill Tracts,Bangladesh Y Basin Research (2012) 24, 1–21, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2117.2011.00540.x The record of Himalayan erosion preserved in the sedimentary rocks of the HatiaTrough of the Bengal Basin and the Chittagong Hill Tracts,Bangladesh Y. Najman,* R. Allen,* E. A. F. Willett,†,1 A. Carter,‡ D. Barfod,§ E. Garzanti,¶ J. Wijbrans,** M. J. Bickle,†† G. Vezzoli,¶ S. Ando,¶ G. Oliver‡‡ and M. J. Uddin§§ *Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK †Cairn Energy Plc, Edinburgh, UK ‡Research School of Earth Sciences, Birkbeck and University College London, London, UK §NERC Argon Isotope Laboratory, SUERC, East Kilbride, UK ¶Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche e Geotechnologie, Universita Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy **Department of Isotope Geology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands ††Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK ‡‡School of Geography and Geosciences, Irvine Building, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK §§Tullow Bangladesh Ltd., Dhaka, Bangladesh ABSTRACT The Cenozoic sedimentary succession of Bangladesh provides an archive of Himalayan erosion. However, its potential as an archive is currently hampered by a poor lithostratigaphic framework with limited age control. We focus on the Hatia Trough of the Bengal Basin and the adjacent fold belt of the Chittagong Hill Tracts which forms the outermost part of the west-propagating Indo- Burmese wedge. We present a basin-wide seismic stratigraphic framework for the Neogene rocks, calibrated by biostratigraphy, which divides the succession into three seismically distinct and region- ally correlatable Megasequences (MS). MS1 extends to NN15-NN16 (ca. 2.5–3.9 Ma), MS2 to NN19-NN20 (ca. 0.4–1.9 Ma) and MS3 to present day. Our seismic mapping, thermochronological analyses of detrital mineral grains, isotopic analyses of bulk rock, heavy mineral and petrographic data, show that the Neogene rocks of the Hatia Trough and Chittagong Hill Tracts are predomi- nantly Himalayan-derived, with a subordinate arc-derived input possibly from the Paleogene Indo- Burman Ranges as well as the Trans-Himalaya. Our seismic data allow us to concur with previous work that suggests folding of the outer part of the west-propagating wedge only commenced recently, within the last few million years. We suggest that it could have been the westward encroachment and final abutment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts fold belt onto the already-uplifted Shillong Plateau that caused diversion of the palaeo-Brahmaputra to the west of the plateau as the north-east drainage route closed. INTRODUCTION 2004; Jamieson et al., 2004, 2006). Studying the erosion record and erosion pathways, is also important for evalu- The Himalaya ranges are a type example for studying oro- ating the role of the uplifting Himalaya on global climate genesis, including the coupling and feedback between tec- (Raymo & Ruddiman, 1992; Molnar et al., 1993), seawa- tonics and erosion. Understanding the processes of ter chemistry (Richter et al., 1992) and palaeodrainage erosion since collision of India and Eurasia at ca. 50– over time (Brookfield, 1998; Clark et al., 2004). The 55 Ma (Garzanti et al., 1987; Klootwijk et al., 1992; major sediment repositories of the Himalaya where such Searle et al., 1997) is vital for discriminating between dif- an erosion record is preserved (e.g. Najman, 2006 and ref- ferent models of crustal deformation, which differ in the erences therein) can provide the only remaining archive timing and extent of required or resultant erosion (Tap- of mountain belt evolution, where the record of early oro- ponier et al., 1982; Dewey et al., 1988; Grujic et al., genesis in the hinterland itself is overprinted due to later 1996, 2002; Chemenda et al. 2000; Beaumont et al., 2001, metamorphism or tectonism. This article focuses on the sedimentary repository of the Hatia Trough (HT) of the Correspondence: Y. Najman, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bengal Basin, and the adjacent Chittagong Hill Tracts Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ,UK. E-mail: y.najman @lancs.ac.uk (CHT) fold belt, Bangladesh (Fig. 1). Our objective is to 1 Present address: Bowleven, 1 North St Andrew Lane Edinburgh provide a robust stratigraphic framework and evolution- EH2 1HX UK ary history for the basin, such that further work on the © 2012 The Authors Basin Research © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers and International Association of Sedimentologists 1 Y. Najman et al. 870E 890E 910E930E Transhimalayan batholith represents the Andean-type N a continental arc of the Asian palaeo-active margin, and is Himalay Bhutan 270N separated from the Palaeozoic-Eocene Tethyan Sedimen- Nepal er a Riv utr tary Series (TSS) deposited on the passive margin of ap Mikir Brahm Hills India, by the Indus-Yarlung Suture zone. South from the TSS, the South Tibetan Detachment System, active by V North West Shillong Plateau Rajmahal V Shelf the Miocene (Hodges, 2000 and references therein), sepa- Traps V 250N rates the TSS from the Higher Himalaya below. The Gan ge Surma s Ri Higher Himalaya represents the metamorphosed rocks of ver Basin Chotanagpur Bengal Basin the Indian plate. Mineral P-T-t paths indicate prograde e Proterozoic belt n o – Z metamorphism until at least 25 30 Ma (e.g. Vance and e Bangladesh g in H Harris 1999; Godin et al. 1999) with exhumation docu- Indian Indo-Bu Chittagong HillTracts Shield/Craton (incl. mented by Neogene mineral cooling ages. The Higher 230N Neogene IBR) Burma Hatia rman Ranges Himalaya is thrust over the predominantly lower-grade to Trough 2 unmetamorphosed Indian plate rocks of the Lesser Hima- India 1 3 laya along the Main Central Thrust, active since ca. 4 Kaladan 23 Ma (Hodges, 2000 and references therein). The Lesser y shelf break Himalaya is itself thrust over the palaeo-foreland basin Present da 210N F ault molasse of the Sub-Himalaya along the Main Boundary Bay of Bengal Thrust, active since at least 10–5 Ma (Meigs et al., 1995; Decelles et al., 1998b). South of the Sub-Himalaya lies 0200Scale: km Bengal Fan the present day foreland basin through which the Ganges INSET A river runs. TIBET suture The Bengal Basin zone Katawaz Yarlung R. The Bengal Basin is a remnant ocean basin, bound to the Basin HIMALAYA north by the Precambrian basement of the Shillong Pla- foreland Ganges R basin teau, to the east by the Burman Margin and to the west by B’putra R. the Indian shield, whereas the south of the basin (Farid- Indus R Bengal IBR Basin pur and Hatia Troughs) is open and empties into the Ben- gal Fan (Fig. 1). The sediment repository preserved in Indus INDIAN CRATON the Bengal Basin is predominantly a huge delta complex Fan Bengal Fan fed by the coalesced Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. It – Trans-Himalayan arc Himalayan thrust belt preserves a ca.16 22 km thick sequence of Cenozoic sedi- (Asian plate) (Indian plate). ments (Curray & Moore, 1971; Curray, 1994; Gani & Alam, 1999; Uddin & Lundberg, 2004); from oldest to Fig. 1. Regional map of Bangladesh and surroundings (adapted youngest, the Sylhet, Kopili, Bhuban, Bokabil, Tipam from Johnson & Nur Alam, 1991), showing the locations of the and Dupi Tila Formations, which show facies evolution study regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the Hatia from marine through deltaic to fluvial environments Trough of the Bengal Basin . Wells from where samples were (Fig. 2). The relative contributions to the basin from the analysed are shown (1: Shabazpur 2: Sitakund, 3: Sangu, 4: Himalaya, Burman margin and Indian craton and Shil- Sonadia). Inset A shows the regional geological context of the long Plateau (Fig. 1), are debated (e.g. Johnson & Nur Himalaya. The rectangle in Inset A outlines the region shown in the regional map of Fig. 1 above. IBR = IndoBurman Ranges; Alam, 1991; Uddin & Lundberg, 1999, 2004; Gani & suture zone is Yarlung Tsangpo Suture Zone. Alam, 2003; Najman et al., 2008). The Bengal Basin can be broadly split into two geotec- tonic provinces (Fig. 1), (1) the Indian platform or stable Himalayan erosion record preserved in this repository can shelf in the northwest and (2) the deeper basin, including be interpreted in context. the Hatia Trough in the southeast and the Surma sub- basin (also called the Sylhet Trough) in the northeast (Uddin and Lundberg, 1998a; Alam et al., 2003). This GEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND deeper basin passes east into the onshore Chittagong Hill – Himalayan geology Tracts (CHT) which is deformed into a series of N S trending folds and east dipping thrusts. The Neogene The Himalaya (Fig. 1 inset A) were formed in the Ceno- strata of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and their easterly zoic after the collision of India and Eurasia at ca. 55– continuation in Burma are separated from the Creta- 50 Ma (Garzanti et al., 1987; Klootwijk et al., 1992; ceous-Palaeogene Indo-Burman Ranges to the east by the Searle et al., 1997). In the north, the Mesozoic-Paleogene Kaladan Fault (Sikder & Alam, 2003). © 2012 The Authors 2 Basin Research © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers and International Association of Sedimentologists Sedimentary rocks of Bangladesh Lithostratigraphy Seismic stratigraphy SURMA AGE SURMA BASIN AGE HATIA BASIN TROUGH MS3 Recent Recent alluvial Megasequence 3 (MS3) Recent Holocene sediment alluvial Marine sediment delta top MS2-MS3 boundary NN19-NN20 (~0.4-1.9 Ma) Dupi Tila Fm Pleistocene Fluvial: Fluvial; meandering meandering MS2 Megasequence 2 (MS2) MS2 Tipam Fm Marine Pliocene Fluvial: braided tidal delta Fluvial; braided MS1-MS2 boundary UMS NN15-NN16 (~2.5-3.9 Ma) UMS MS1 MS1 Surma Group - Megasequence 1 (MS1) Marine; Boka Bil & Bhuban Fms Marine; Miocene deltaic/ deltaic/ shelf shelf/slope Marine; deltaic ? ? ? ? Below seismic resolution and Barail Fm not part of seismically defined Barail Fm Oligocene megasequences. Fig. 2. Neogene stratigraphy of the Bengal Basin. The left hand panel shows the formation names, facies and ages as traditionally depicted using lithostratigraphy (after Johnson & Nur Alam, 1991; Reimann, 1993).
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