Preliminary Geoheritage Assessment of The Gharam Chashma Granitic Batholith (GCGB), Southern Margin of Asian Plate, NW Pakistan: Multiple Constraints from Field Evidence, Petrology, and Physicomechanical Properties

This study was performed on the preliminary geoheritage assessment of the Gharam Chashma Granitic Batholith (GCGB) based on field observations, petrology, and the physicomechanical properties of selected samples. The area of research holds a complex geological setting with tremendous potential as a regional geodiversity. The outcomes reveal that GCGB can be anticipated as a top potential geoheritage site inhabiting the highest geoheritage and Geotourist values. The supporting data, i.e., petrographic studies, endorse euhedral to subhedral grains in the selected samples. The fine-grained granite sample yield more unconfined compressive strength (UCS) (169.55 MPa) than coarse-grained granite (79.46 MPa) due to its less degree of mineral alteration, fine grain size, relatively low porosity (0.43%), and water absorption (0.39%). The petrographic investigations further disclose that fine- and coarse-grained variations contain less than five percent of strained quartz, which categories these rocks as innocuous for alkali-silica reaction (ASR). Based on detailed petrology and physicomechanical properties, i.e., UCS, specific gravity, water absorption, porosity, soundness, and Loss Angeles (L.A) abrasion followed by the assessment and quantification models, the proposed GCGB possesses high geoheritage potential and can be proposed as a global geosites and can be served as a regional geoheritage diversity for the sustainable development of the country.