An Overview of Geothermal Resources of Pakistan

Abstract

This paper deals with geologic and tectonic features associated with the surface manifestation of geothermal activity in Pakistan. Major tectonic elements during the cenozoic and mesozoic have shaped the Geological structures observed in Pakistan today. These structural elements are indicators for delineating and developing the potential geothermal resources of the country. The zone of deformation extends from the Makran region in the southwest, to the Hazara-Kashmir syntaxial bend in the north. These features are produced by interaction of the Indian, Arabian and Eurasian Plates. Tectonic movements along these plates give rise to localisation of hotsprings. The Arabian plate underthrusted the Eurasian plate and has resulted in the formation of Chagai volcanic arc which extends into Iran ( Fig 1). In the northern areas the rock units represent Indian mass Kohistan Island arc, and Eurasian mass. The rocks exposed in the area are metamorphic to granitic, and range from pre-cambrian to tertiary in age. Numerous hotsprings are found along the Main Mantle Thrust and Main Karakoram Thrust in Chilas and Hunza areas respectively. In Sindh province thermal springs are concentrated in the vicinity of Karachi and are broadly divisible into hilly terrain in northwest and plain areas in southeast. In Punjab province thermal springs and seepages follow the alignment of syntaxial bend. In Baluchistan province ìHamun-e- Mashkhelî a graben structure also shows geothermal affinity on the basis of results obtained by an aeromagnetic study.