Tectonic evolution, prospectivity and structural studies of the hanging wall of Main Boundary Thrust along Akhurwal-Kohat transect, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: implications for future exploration

Abstract

The contemporary research work is focused on the geological mapping, subsurface interpretation, and restoration along the Kohat-Akhurwal transect Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This research is an attempt to comprehend the structural analysis of the transect A-B along the Akhurwal-Kohat in respect of subsurface interpretation, evaluation of decollements, and the structural correlation between surface and subsurface rocks. The collected field data was integrated into an internally consistent workflow in MOVE software 2016.1® in order to interpolate and extrapolate beyond known points to better constrain structural interpretation and validation. The cross section along the regional transect A-B which is 38,034.0 m in length was constructed based on detailed structural mapping conducted during the field. The restoration of the section A-B was conducted through the algorithm with the help software. Total shortening calculated along the line A-B is 45.71%. The north-western part of the study area is relatively more deformed and exposes the older rocks. The general rock trend of both the Kotal and the adjacent Kohat Basin in the cross section deviates from the east-west to the west-north-west as we move from the east to the west. The restoration of the section A-B implies that the subject area is intensely deformed by the tectonic stresses since Miocene time.