Provenance and tectonic settings of the Lower Siwalik Subgroup, Jammu, Northwest Himalaya

Abstract

The sandstones of the two representative stratigraphic sections of the Lower Siwalik Subgroup of Ramnagar area in Jammu region of Northwest Himalaya are studied to infer the provenance and tectonic settings of the source area. The sandstones are fine– to medium–grained and moderately to well sorted. These sandstones consist of three varieties of quartz with small amounts of feldspar, lithic fragments and micas and are classified as sublitharenites, subarkoses and litharenites. These rocks belong to the collision orogenic belt of tectonic regime and have been derived from a mixed provenance that includes plutonic basement, sedimentary and meta–sedimentary rocks.