Khan, Noman , Kashif, Muhammad , Ithaf, Arzish , Habib, Sheraz , Ullah, Hassanat , Khan, Khalid Ali
2025-05-30 CARBONATES AND EVAPORITES 2025 40(卷), 3(期), (null页)
The Kohat Basin is a significant economic basin in Pakistan. Many oil and gas fields, salt, and gypsum quarries are in the study area. The Kohat Basin had a semi-arid (supratidal environment) climate during the Eocene span, which created favorable conditions for water to evaporate within the basin. As a consequence, thick deposits of salt and gypsum have been deposited. The petrographic thin section analysis, SEM with EDS, XRF, XRD, Laser Raman spectroscopy, and Sulfur and Oxygen Isotope techniques have been used to evaluate the objectives of the current study. The outcrops study has been used to evaluate the lithofacies (gypsum arenite, selenite gypsum, radial gypsum, laminated gypsum, nodular gypsum, and massive gypsum). The Microfacies have been established based on petrography i.e., alabastrine, granoblastic, porphyroblastic, granular, and satin spar. The thin section and SEM show that gypsum and anhydrite are the dominant minerals. Laser Raman spectroscopy peaks indicate that trapped fluid is water along with oily water in gypsum. Geochemical analysis reveals that Jatta Gypsum didn't deposit in marine environments but also consists of meteoric and surface water. The minor concentration of minerals such as Mg, Si, Al, Fe, and K act as impurities which shows that gypsum was exposed to the surface by tectonic activities and meteoric water enters into the rock via fractures. Based on all geochemical analyses it has been concluded that Jatta Gypsum has been deposited in the continental sabkha environment.