The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution of the Arabian Sea Region (Geological Society Special Publication, No. 195)

534 Pages·2003·16.67 MB·English

by  Geological Society of London

The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution
of the Arabian Sea Region
Geological Society Special Publications
Society Book Editors
A. J. FLEET (CHIEF EDITOR)
R DOYLE
F. J. GREGORY
J. S. GRIFFITHS
A. J. HARTLEY
R. E. HOLDSWORTH
A. C. MORTON
N. S. ROBINS
M. S. STOKER
J. R TURNER
Reviewing procedures
The Society makes every effort to ensure that the scientific and production quality of its books matches
that of its journals. Since 1997, all book proposals have been refereed by specialist reviewers as well as
by the Society's Books Editorial Committee. If the referees identify weaknesses in the proposal, these
must be addressed before the proposal is accepted.
Once the book is accepted, the Society has a team of Book Editors (listed above) who ensure that the
volume editors follow strict guidelines on refereeing and quality control. We insist that individual papers
can only be accepted after satisfactory review by two independent referees. The questions on the review
forms are similar to those for Journal of the Geological Society. The referees' forms and comments
must be available to the Society's Book Editors on request.
Although many of the books result from meetings, the editors are expected to commission papers that
were not presented at the meeting to ensure that the book provides a balanced coverage of the subject.
Being accepted for presentation at the meeting does not guarantee inclusion in the book.
Geological Society Special Publications are included in the ISI Index of Scientific Book Contents, but
they do not have an impact factor, the latter being applicable only to journals.
More information about submitting a proposal and producing a Special Publication can be found on
the Society's web site: www.geolsoc.org.uk.
It is recommended that reference to all or part of this book should be made in one of the following
ways:
CLIFT, R D., KROON, D., GAEDICKE, C. & CRAIG, J. (eds) 2002. The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution of
the Arabian Sea Region. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 195
UCHUPI, E., SWIFT, S. A. & ROSS, D. A. 2002. Tectonic geomorphology of the Gulf of Oman Basin. In:
CLIFT, R D., KROON, D., GAEDICKE, C. & CRAIG, J. (eds) The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution of the
Arabian Sea Region. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 195 1-69.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 195
The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution
of the Arabian Sea Region
EDITED BY
R D. CLIFT
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
D. KROON
Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
C. GAEDICKE
Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Germany
and
J. CRAIG
Lasmo plc, UK
2002
Published by
The Geological Society
London
THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The Geological Society of London (GSL) was founded in 1807. It is the oldest national geological society in the
world and the largest in Europe. It was incorporated under Royal Charter in 1825 and is Registered Charity 210161.
The Society is the UK national learned and professional society for geology with a worldwide Fellowship (FGS) of
9000. The Society has the power to confer Chartered status on suitably qualified Fellows, and about 2000 of the
Fellowship carry the title (CGeol). Chartered Geologists may also obtain the equivalent European title, European
Geologist (EurGeol). One fifth of the Society's fellowship resides outside the UK. To find out more about the Society,
log on to www.geolsoc.org.uk.
The Geological Society Publishing House (Bath, UK) produces the Society's international journals and books,
and acts as European distributor for selected publications of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists
(AAPG), the American Geological Institute (AGI), the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA), the Geological
Society of America (GSA), the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) and the Geologists' Association (GA).
Joint marketing agreements ensure that GSL Fellows may purchase these societies' publications at a discount. The
Society's online bookshop (accessible from www.geolsoc.org.uk) offers secure book purchasing with your credit or
debit card.
To find out about joining the Society and benefiting from substantial discounts on publications of GSL and other
societies worldwide, consult www.geolsoc.org.uk, or contact the Fellowship Department at: The Geological Society,
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J OBG: Tel. [phone]; Fax [phone]; E-mail:
[email protected].
For information about the Society's meetings, consult Events on www.geolsoc.org.uk. To find out more about the
Society's Corporate Affiliates Scheme, write to [email protected].
Published by The Geological Society from: Distributors
The Geological Society Publishing House
Unit 7, Brassmill Enterprise Centre USA
Brassmill Lane AAPG Bookstore
Bath BA1 3JN, UK PO Box 979
(Orders: Tel. [phone] Tulsa
Fax [phone]) OK 74101-0979
Online bookshop: http://bookshop.geolsoc.org.uk USA
Orders: Tel. [phone]
The publishers make no representation, express or Fax [phone]
implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information E-mail [email protected]
contained in this book and cannot accept any legal
responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be India
made. Affiliated East-West Press PVT Ltd
G-l/16 Ansari Road, Daryaganj,
© The Geological Society of London 2002. All rights New Delhi 110 002
reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this Orders: Tel. [phone]
publication may be made without written permission. No Fax [phone]
paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied E-mail [email protected]
or transmitted save with the provisions of the Copyright
Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London Japan
W1P 9HE. Users registered with the Copyright Clear- Kanda Book Trading Co.
ance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970, Cityhouse Tama 204
USA: the item-fee code for this publication is 0305- Tsurumaki 1-3-10
8719/02/$15.00. Tama-shi
Tokyo 206-0034
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Japan
Orders: Tel. [phone]
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Fax [phone]
British Library.
ISBN 1-86239–111–4
Typeset by Keytec Typesetting Ltd., Bridport, Dorset,
UK.
Printed by Cambrian Printers Ltd, Aberystwyth, UK
Contents
CLIFT, R D., KROON, D., GAEDICKE, C. & CRAIG, J. Tectonic and climatic 1
evolution of the Arabian Sea region: an introduction
ROYER, J.-Y, CHAUBEY, A. K., DYMENT, I, BHATTACHARYA, G. C., SRINIVAS, K., 7
YATHEESH, V & RAMPRASAD, T. Paleogene plate tectonic evolution of the Arabian
and Eastern Somali basins
GAEDICKE, C., PREXL, A., SCHLUTER, H.-U, MEYER, H., ROESER, H. & CLIFT, R 25
D. Seismic stratigraphy and correlation of major regional unconformities in the
northern Arabian Sea
UCHUPI, E., SWIFT, S. A. & Ross, D. A. Tectonic geomorphology of the Gulf of 37
Oman Basin
CHAUBEY, A. K., DYMENT, J., BHATTACHARYA, G. C., ROYER, J.-Y, SRINIVAS, K. 71
& YATHEESH, V Paleogene magnetic isochrons and palaeo-propagators in the
Arabian and Eastern Somali basins, NW Indian Ocean
VITA-FINZI, C. Neotectonics on the Arabian Sea coasts 87
CLIFT, R D., CARTER, A., KROL, M. & KIRBY, E. Constraints on India-Eurasia 97
collision in the Arabian Sea region taken from the Indus Group, Ladakh
Himalaya, India
BURGATH, K.-R, VON RAD, U., VAN DER LINDEN, W., BLOCK, M., KHAN, A. A., 117
ROESER, H. A. & WEISS, W. Basalt and peridotite recovered from Murray Ridge:
are they of supra-subduction origin?
DELISLE, G. & BERNER, U. Gas hydrates acting as cap rock to fluid discharge in 137
the Makran accretionary prism?
McCALL, G. J. H. A summary of the geology of the Iranian Makran 147
SATTARZADEH, Y, COSGROVE, J. W. & VITA-FINZI, C. The geometry of structures 205
in the Zagros cover rocks and its neotectonic implications
STOW, D. A. V, TABREZ, A. R. & PRINS, M. A. Quaternary sedimentation on the 219
Makran margin: turbidity current-hemipelagic interaction in an active slope-apron
system
CLIFT, R D. A brief history of the Indus River 237
DALEY, T. & ALAM, Z. Seismic stratigraphy of the offshore Indus Basin 259
SMEWING, J. D., WARBUTON, I, DALEY, T., COPESTAKE, R & UL-HAQ, N. 273
Sequence stratigraphy of the southern Kirthar Fold Belt and Middle Indus Basin,
Pakistan
GLENNIE, K. W., SINGHVI, A. K., LANCASTER, N. & TELLER, J. T. Quaternary 301
climatic changes over southern Arabia and the Thar Desert, India
vi CONTENTS
WENDLER, L, ZONNEVELD, K. A. F. & WILLEMS, H. Calcareous cyst-producing 317
dinoflagellates: ecology and aspects of cyst preservation in a highly productive
oceanic region
JUNG, S. J. A., IVANOVA, E., REICHART, G. J., DAVIES, G. R., GANSSEN, G., 341
KROON, D. & HlNTE, J. E. V Centennial-millennial-scale monsoon variations off
Somalia over the last 35 ka
BRUMMER, G. J. A., KLOOSTERHUIS, H. T. & HELDER, W. Monsoon-driven export 353
fluxes and early diagenesis of particulate nitrogen and its d15N across the Somalia
margin
WILLIAMS, A. H. & WALKDEN, G. M. Late Quaternary highstand deposits of the 371
southern Arabian Gulf: a record of sea-level and climate change
VON RAD, U, KHAN, A. A., BERGER, W. H., RAMMLMAIR, D. & TREPPKE, U. 387
Varves, turbidites and cycles in upper Holocene sediments (Makran Slope,
northern Arabian Sea)
REICHART, G. I, NORTIER, J., VERSTEEGH, G. & ZACHARIASSE, W. J. Periodical 407
breakdown of the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone caused by deep convective
mixing
LUCKGE, A., REINHARDT, L., ANDRULEIT, H., DOSE-ROLINSKI, H., RAD, U. V, 421
SCHULZ, H. & TREPPKE, U. Formation of varve-like laminae off Pakistan:
decoding five years of sedimentation
STAUBWASSER, M. & DULSKI, P. On the evolution of the oxygen minimum zone 433
in the Arabian Sea during Holocene time and its relation to the South Asian
monsoon
VON RAD, U, BURGATH, K. P., PERVAZ, M. & SCHULZ, H. Discovery of the Toba 445
Ash (c. 70 ka) in a high-resolution core recovering millennial monsoonal
variability off Pakistan
PEETERS, F. J. C. & BRUMMER, G. J. A. The seasonal and vertical distribution of 463
living planktic foraminifera in the NW Arabian Sea
SCHULZ, H., RAD, U. V. & ITTEKKOT, V Planktic forminifera, particle flux and 499
oceanic productivity off Pakistan, NE Arabian Sea: modern analogues and
application to the paleoclimatic record
Index 517
Acknowledgements
The papers in the volume arise from a special meeting of the Tectonic Studies, Marine
Studies and Petroleum Groups of the Geological Society of London, held at the Geological
Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, on 4–5th April 2001. The meeting was convened by
Peter Clift, Christoph Gaedicke, Jonathan Craig and Dirk Kroon. Lasmo UK plc and the
Geological Society are thanked for their partial financial support of the meeting, proceeds
from which helped cover the costs of colour figures and fold-outs in this publication. Chryseis
Fox is thanked for creating and maintaining the related web pages.
The editors wish to acknowledge reviews by the following geoscientists:
A. Beach P. Hildebrand J.J.G. Reijmer
D. Benn M. Higginson L.R. Sautter
C. Betzler F. Jansen B. Schreckenberger
J. P. Burg G. Jones D. Schelling,
S. Carey C. Kendall R. Schneider
S. Clemens M. Khan M.P. Searle
R. Coleman E. Kirby P. Sharland
P. D. Clift N. Kukowski A.D. Singh
T. Daley F. Marret F. Sirocko
K. Darling K. Mclntyre J. Smewing
P. Degnan J. McManus S. Swift
P. DeMenocal P. Miles A.H.F. Robertson
R. Edwards T. Minshull E. Uchupi
P. Friend G. Mountain J. Warburton
R. Ganeshram N. Nowaczyk R. Whittington
E. Garzanti F. Peeters C. Vita-Finzi
E. Gnos J. Pike U. von Rad
R. Graham M. Prins
R. Harland JG.. Reichart
This page intentionally left blank
Tectonic and climatic evolution of the Arabian Sea region: an
introduction
PETER D. CLIFT1, DICK KROON2, CHRISTOPH GAEDICKE3 &
JONATHAN CRAIG4
1 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
(e-mail: [email protected])
2 Institute of Earth Sciences, Free University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3Bundesanstalt fur Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Stilleweg 2, D-30655 Hannover,
Germany
4Lasmoplc, 101 Bishops Gate, London EC2M 3XH, UK
The evolution of the global oceanic and atmo- The Arabian Sea is the natural laboratory to
spheric circulation systems has been affected by study the interaction between orogenic growth and
several forcing processes, with orbital variations regional climate change. Ocean Drilling Program
being dominant on shorter geological time scales. (ODP) sampling of pelagic sediments on the
Over longer periods of time (>10 Ma) the tectonic Oman margin has revealed a detailed history of
evolution of the solid Earth has been recognized monsoonal variability (Kroon et al. 1991; Prell et
as the major control on the development of the al. 1992), most notably an intensification of the
global climate system. Tectonic activity acts in monsoon at 8.5 Ma, as traced by the abundance of
one of two different ways to influence regional Globigerina bulloides and other eutrophic species,
and global climate. The earliest solid Earth- foraminifers associated with monsoon-induced
climatic interaction recognized was the effect that coastal upwelling in the modern Arabian Sea.
the opening and closure of oceanic gateways had Initially this result appeared to correlate well with
on the circulation patterns in the global ocean. the start of extension on the Tibetan Plateau, an
Major effects on regional and sometimes global event that was linked to a period of rapid plateau
climate have been attributed to such changes, e.g. uplift. Consequently, Harrison et al. (1992) and
closure of the Isthmus of Panama (Driscoll & Molnar et al. (1993) proposed a direct correlation
Haug 1998). Since the late 1980s a second form between rapid Tibetan uplift at that time and a
of climate-tectonic interaction has been recog- strong SW monsoon and increased rainfall. Mod-
nized, involving the growth and erosion of oro- elling studies support a shift of increased precipi-
genic belts. In this second category the Arabian tation from Indochina toward the Himalayas and a
Sea region must be considered the global type strengthening of the Asian monsoon during late
example. Tertiary time, separate from the strengthening at
Growth of the Himalaya and associated Tibetan 8.5 Ma (Fluteau et al. 1999).
Plateau is now believed to have substantially More recently, fieldwork in Tibet has compli-
altered Cenozoic climate. Raymo et al. (1988) cated our ideas about the timing of uplift, with
suggested that chemical erosion of the uplifting some workers indicating at least southern Tibet
orogen resulted in the draw-down of atmospheric reaching maximum elevation at c. 19 Ma
CO, which was deposited as limestone, causing (Williams et al. 2001), whereas others suggest
2
long-term global cooling, as a result of the reduc- rapid uplift of the northern plateau during Plio-
tion in this important greenhouse gas. Orogenic cene time (Zheng et al. 2000). Work on the
uplift is also believed to affect regional climate monsoon also continues to change our understand-
and in particular development of the monsoon. ing of the climatic evolution of South Asia. Derry
Summer heating of air above the Tibetan Plateau & France-Lanord (1997) proposed that the 8–
is known to have induced a strengthening of the 7 Ma period in fact represented a weak monsoon,
monsoon (Manabe & Terpstra, 1974), and so with greater regional aridity rather than the stan-
tectonic uplift of the plateau has been linked to dard image of greater precipitation. Clearly much
strengthening of the monsoon (Raymo & Ruddi- work remains in defining the timing of the SW
man 1992; Molnar et al. 1993). monsoon and the timing of tectonism in Tibet.
From: CLIFT, P.D., KROON, D., GAEDICKE, C. & CRAIG, J. (eds) 2002. The Tectonic and Climatic Evolution of 1
the Arabian Sea Region. Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 195, 1-5.
0305-8719/02/$15.00 © The Geological Society of London 2002.