Abstract:
The present study evaluates the distribution and preliminary prospectivity of selected critical, economic, and industrial mineral-related elements in the Dhok Pathan Formation of Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The formation, belonging to the Siwalik Group, is mainly composed of fluvial sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, and locally conglomeratic beds. The objective of this research was to determine the elemental concentrations of selected samples and assess the preliminary critical mineral potential of the formation. Twenty soil samples were collected from weathered and oxidized horizons developed on exposed sandstone mudstone/siltstone successions of the Dhok Pathan Formation at Takht-e-Nasrati and Shanawa Gudikhel. The samples were prepared, digested, and analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) for selected major, trace, critical, economic, and industrial mineral-related elements. The results show measurable concentrations of critical mineral-related elements including Li, Co, Ni, Cr, Ti, U, V, and Zr. Titanium shows the highest concentration among the critical element group, ranging from 1809.00 to 2904.89 ppm, followed by V, Cr, Ni, Li, Co, Zr, and U. Economic mineral-related elements are mainly represented by Fe and Ti, with Fe ranging from 21852.14 to 31447.00 ppm and Ti ranging from 1809.00 to 2904.89 ppm. Other elements, including Ba, Mn, Sr, Cr, V, Ni, Co, Li, and U, occur in variable concentrations. Industrial mineral-related elements such as Al, K, Na, Ca, and Mg are also present in the analyzed samples. Although the measured concentrations do not indicate ore-grade mineralization, the repeated occurrence of selected critical and trace elements suggests that the Dhok Pathan Formation has preliminary geochemical significance. Further detailed sampling, mineralogical confirmation, and spatial geochemical analysis are recommended before any resource-level interpretation is made.
