Research progress of the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary evolution in eastern Pakistan sea

The East Pakistan sea area, located in the junction of three major plates of the world, has experienced complex tectonic-sedimentary evolution in history. Since Cenozoic era, the collision between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate has been accelerated, that led to the rapid uplifting of the Himalaya, the form of the Indus deep-water fan, the second largest in the world, and the development of the sea off the Pakistan land. In addition to it, the area is heavily influenced by Indian monsoon as one of the two major monsoon regions in Asia. It is indeed the unique place in the world for study of the coupling relationship and interaction among the tectonic, sedimentary and climatic factors. Upon the basis of previous research results, we summarized in this paper the current research status of sedimentary evolution of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins in the Eastern Pakistan sea, put forward some main problems remained in controversy and made suggestions for future researches. Four main research interests and directions are put in front of us, i.e, the Indus fan since Miocene; the typical Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary geological bodies; the latest Quaternary turbidite sedimentology and the interaction of tectonic, sedimentation and climate. So far, few reports are available concerning the Mesozoic sediments beneath the Deccan basalt, the regional sedimentary evolution out of the depositional system, and the correlation of continental-marine sedimentary systems. Further investigations should be accelerated.