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STRATIGRAPHY
4.1 Introduction
The mapped area is the western part of the Central Salt Range. All the
rocks exposed in the area are of sedimentary in origin. They range in age from
Eocambrian (Salt Range Formation) to Eocene (Sakesar Limestone). There are
two major Unconformities in mapped area that is:
1. Base Permian
2. Base Tertiary
The rock units exposed in the mapped area are as follow:
`
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
The location of the project area in the Salt Range is shown in figure 4.2.
Lithology
In the project area the Formation is composed of gypseous marl in the
lower part (Plate 4.1). The marl is massive and includes gypsum, dolomite and
clay. Quartz crystals of variable sizes are also present in this marl. It is white to
light grey in color. It is massive and is associated with bluish grey clay. The
dolomite is light in color. It is flaggy and cherty in nature. It is associated with
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
dolomitic shales, bituminous shales (Plate 4.2). The oil shales when freshly
broken give off oily smell. Oil shales are of dark brown color and weathering color
is very dark. There are elongated nodules containing bituminous material. They
show cavities filled with calcite. They are very hard and compact.
Topographic Expression
It forms steep slopes in the nalas.
Contacts
Base of the formation is not exposed anywhere including the study area.
The upper contact with the Khewra Sandstone is transitional.
Age
The Salt Range Formation is devoid of fossils. Due to its position below
Lower Cambrian sediments and above the metamorphic Precambrian basement,
it is considered as Late Neoproterozoic. This is in accordance with the results of
sulphur-isotope measurements carried out on gypsum samples from the top of
Salt Range Formation which indicate an age of about 600 m.y. (Kazmi and Jan,
1997).
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
Khewra Sandstone dominantly consists of sandstone with minor amount
of shale. The basal part consists of thin-bedded, fine to medium-grained
sandstone, partly shaly, passing upward into massive, thick-bedded, purple,
occasionally buff-colored, jointed sandstone with thin bands of clay. Upper part is
dominantly reddish brown and yellowish brown sandstone, becoming pale
towards the top. The sandstone is well sorted, cross bedded and has abundant
ripple marks and mud cracks and also shows convolute bedding in the lower part
(Plate 4.3, 4.4).
The Khewra Sandstone can be divided into 4 units: (Saqib et. al 2009)
1. The lower unit, often called the “Maroon Shale Group”, consists of thin
bedded, dark red to brown, argillaceous siltstone, with intercalations of
dark purple shales. Occasionally argillaceous sandstones are present.
2. The middle unit is a thin bedded to flaggy, purple to brick red sandstone. It
is generally micaceous, fine grained and silty at the base; the grain size
increases towards the top. Sedimentary structures like ball and pillow,
climbing ripples, parting lineation, tabular and trough cross bedding are
present.
3. The upper unit consists of light red to yellowish white sandstone which is
medium hard to friable. It gets coarser towards the top. Wedge planar
cross bedding, large scale trough cross bedding, honey comb weathering
are prominent feature of this.
4. The topmost unit of the Khewra sandstone is yellowish white, friable,
medium grained, sandstone which shows high percentage of quartz. The
sandstone is ferruginous; cross bedded and contains calcareous lenses.
Topographic Expression
It forms broken cliffs above the Salt Range Formation.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Contacts
The contact of Khewra Sandstone with the underlying Salt Range
Formation is conformable and gradational (Plate 4.5). Its upper contact with
Tobra Formation is Unconformable and sharp (Plate 4.6).
Age
The Khewra Sandstone does not contain well-preserved fossils but
possesses evidence of organic remains and trace fossils which have been
interpreted as “diggings of trilobites” (Schindewolf and Seilacher, 1955).
Because of its position between the Late Proterozoic Salt Range
Formation and the fossiliferous Early Cambrian Kussak Formation, in the Eastern
Salt Range the Khewra Sandstone is thought to represent the basal part of the
Lower Cambrian.
Lithology
The formation includes following units from base to top (Plate 4.7).
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Topographic Expression
It tends to form steep slopes.
Contacts
The lower contact of the Tobra Formation is a widespread unconformity
with Khewra Sandstone. The upper contact with the Dandot Formation is
(gradational) conformable. The contact can be recognized with change in
lithology from black and dark brown shale to greenish sandstone of Dandot
Formation
Age
The Tobra Formation contains ostracodes, and fresh water bivalves,
pollen, spores, microplanktons as well as flora remains including Glossopteris
and Gangamopteris (Reed 1936). On the basis of fauna the age is considered as
Early Permian (Shah, 1977).
Lithology
In the project area the lithology consists of light-grey to olive green
sandstone with occasional pebbly beds and subordinate dark grey and greenish
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
splintery shales.
Topographic Expression
It forms the poorly exposed slopes below the cliffs of Warchha Sandstone.
Contacts
The Dandot Formation has a gradational contact with the underlying Tobra
Formation. The upper contact with Warchha Sandstone is conformable and
sharp
Fossils
The Formation contains rich fauna of brachiopods, bivalves, gastropods,
pteropods, bryozoans and ostracodes, as well as spores (Kadri, 1995).
Age
On the basis of the stratigraphic position of the formation above the Tobra
Formation, and the presence of fauna in the formation, Early Permian age has
been assigned.
Lithology
This formation consists predominantly of sandstone. The sandstone is red,
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Topographic Expression
It tends to form cliffs.
Contacts
The lower contact with Dandot Formation is conformable and sharp. The
upper contact with the Sardhai Formation is transitional which is placed at the top
of the highest massive sandstone.
Fossils
No diagnostic fossils are known from this formation except from worm-
casts and petrified wood (Fatmi, 1973).
Age
On the basis of stratigraphic position, Early Permian age has been
assigned to this formation.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
This formation consists of bluish, lavender, purplish and greenish grey
clay with subordinate bands of sandy limestone. This formation shows variation
in color. Intercalated sandstone is white in color. At some places carbonaceous
shale is also present.
Topographic Expressions
It is poorly exposed along the slopes. It is easily eroded due to its soft
nature and forms irregular streams and gullies.
Contacts
It has transitional contact with Warchha Sandstone. The upper contact
with Amb Formation is lithologically well defined (Plate 4.11). Both lower and
upper contacts are conformable
Fossils
Hussain (1960) has reported the following fossils from the sandy
limestone beds: Anastomopora sp., Fenestella sp., Athyris sp. distinct plant
fossils are also reported in carbonaceous bands of the formation.
Age
The age on the basis of above fossils is Early Permian.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
The formation consists of sandstone, sandy limestone, calcareous
sandstone and shales. The sandstone is brownish grey and is medium to thick
bedded. It is fine to medium-grained. The limestone is sandy, brownish grey,
medium bedded. The shales are grey to dark grey, sandy in some beds.
Topographic Expression
It forms poorly exposed slopes.
Contacts
It conformably overlies the Sardhai Formation and underlies the Wargal
Limestone. The contact with the both formations is gradational in nature.
Fossils
Passcoe (1959) listed about 165 species from the Amb Formation of
which only about 28 are mollusks. The lower part is rich in fusilinids and various
species of brachiopods, bryozoans, bivalves and gastropods has been reported.
Numerous crinoidal stems and algae are seen in thin-section.
Age
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
The formation consists of grey dolomitic limestone (Plate 4.12). The
limestone is thick bedded to massive and highly fractured. Stylolites and
stromatictic structures are observed in the limestone (Plate 4.13, 4.14). In the
upper part nodular limestone interbedded with marl is present.
Topographic Expression
It forms rugged, bold cliffs and prominent steep slopes.
Contacts
The contact of Wargal Limestone with the underlying Amb Formation is
conformable and is not well defined. The upper contact with Chhidru Formation is
transitional.
Fossils
Brachiopods, Sponges, Corals, and Crinoids were recognized during the
field excursion. Passcoe (1959) listed about 400 fossils species from this
formation, roughly two-third of them being Brachiopods. Many other fossils are
reported such as bivalves, Gastropods, Trilobites, Otracodes and fishes.
Age
The age of the formation is Late Permian.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
In the mapped area the formation begins with pale-yellowish grey to
medium dark grey shales. This underlies a sequence of dirty brown color sandy
limestone and calcareous sandstone, also greenish khaki sandstone with clay
beds. A hardground in Chhidru Formation is exposed near Narwari Garden(Plate
4.15).
Contacts
The lower contact with Wargal Limestone is conformable. The upper
contact is unconformable, near the village Kathwai its upper contact is marked by
a Paraconformity with the Mianwali Formation while in the rest of the area the
upper contact with the Hangu Formation is unconformably (Plate 4.17). It is sharp
and well defined marked by Laterite.
Fossils
The formation is fossiliferous containing brachiopods, ammonoids, and
corals (Plate 4.16). The genus Ammonoids cyclous is restricted to this formation
(Kummel and Teichert, 1970).
Age
The age of the formation is Late Permian.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
The formation mainly consists of limestone, shale, dolomite, sandstone
and marl. The following three members have been recognized by Kummel (1966)
in the Salt Range:
• Narmia Member
• Mittiwali Member and
• Kathwai Member
But in the project area, only two members exposed that is Kathwai and
Mittiwali member.
Kathwai Member
The Kathwai member was used by Kummel and Teichert (1966) after its
type locality near Kathwai. It consists of dolomite in the lower part and limestone
in the upper part. The limestone is cream colored. The dolomite is fine crystalline,
thinly bedded and contains numerous fossils fragment. Ammonite fossils are
abundant. The thickness of this unit at this locality is 3.5 meters.
Mittiwali Member
The Mittiwali Member contains light grey to greenish brown sandy
limestone that grades into calcareous sandstone with marly horizons (Plate
4.18).
Topographic Expression
It generally forms slopes.
Contacts
The lower contact with Chhidru Formation is marked by a Paraconformity
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
while the upper contact with the Hangu Formation is unconformably. It is sharp
and well defined marked by Laterite.
Fossils
The formation contains bivalves, brachiopods, ammonoids, nautiloids,
echinoid spines and crinoidal remains (Kummel and Teichert, 1970). Mainly
ceratite are present in the formation.
Age
On the basis of above fossils the age of the formation is Early Triassic.
Lithology
In the project area, the lithology is marked by Laterite which and is
composed of sandstone in the lower part. The sandstone is white in color,
weathers to rusty brown. It is massive and friable. Above this quartz arenite unit
there is ferruginous sandstone. The ferruginous sandstone shows tidal bedding.
It is rusty brown in color (Plate 4.19).
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
area is 8m.
Topographic Expression
Contacts
In the southern part of the project area the upper and lower contact of the
formation is with Patala Formation and Chhidru Formation (Plate 4.20), while in
the northern part its upper contact is with Lockhart Limestone and lower contact
is with Mianwali Formation.
Fossils
No fossils evidence was seen in the field survey. However, Davies (1937),
Cox (1933) reported the mollusks and corals from the upper part of Hangu
formation.
Age
On the basis of the above fossil evidence, and stratigraphic position, Early
Paleocene age is assigned to this formation.
Lithology
In the mapped area it consists of brown grey nodular limestone which is
well bedded and highly fossiliferous (Plate 4.20).
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Chapphar Sharif where it is exposed in a very small area. It is not more than 3m
in the project area.
Contacts
The Lockhart limestone conformably overlies the Hangu Formation and
underlies the Patala Formation.
Fossils
This limestone is highly fossiliferous. It contains the same type of fossils
as Nammal Formation. Lockartia, Assilina, Nummulites was reported in the
formation.
Age
Paleocene age is assigned to this limestone on the basis of the above
fossils.
Lithology
In the mapped area, this formation consists of shales which are dark
greenish grey in color. The carbonaceous shale has selenite crystals. Coal
seams of economic value are present in the carbonaceous shales. Marl is also
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
present in this area of dark grey color. Nodular limestone which is grey in color is
also interbedded in shales. Reddish and purplish encrustations are present due
to alteration. Sandstone which is yellow brown is present in the upper part.
Topographic Expression
It forms gentle slopes below the cliff forming Nammal Limestone.
Contacts
The formation overlies unconformably the Hangu Formation except at one
place near Dada Golra Sharif it conformably overlain by Lockhart Limestone. It is
overlain conformably by Nammal Formation. The contact with Nammal Formation
is transitional.
Fossils
The Formation contains abundant foraminifera, mollusks, and ostracodes.
The larger Foraminifera include Assilina dandotica, A. granulosa, Daviesina
khatiyahi, Lockhartia conditi, L. hunti, Operculina canalifera, O. patalensis,
Rotalia dukhani and Sakesaria ornate (Kazmi and Abbasi, 2008). At some
localities ichnofossils are also found (Plate 4.22).
Age
The age of the formation is Late Paleocene.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
In the mapped area, lithology of this formation consists of limestone in the
upper part and marl below. Limestone and marl is almost is equal parts but marl
becomes dominant in the basal part. The limestone is whitish to medium grey,
argillaceous hard, dense, medium to thick bedded. It is nodular in part. Nodules
are mostly stretched. Crystallization of calcite was noted in the joints.
Foraminifera are seen as small whitish specks on the weathered surface. Marl is
whitish to medium grey calcareous claystone which becomes silty at places.
Topographic Expression
The Nammal Formation as a whole forms escarpments and the steep
slopes. Marl horizon forms slopes while limestone forms edges.
Contacts
The lower contact of Nammal Formation is placed at the top of gentle
slope formed by underlying Patala Formation. The contact is conformable with a
thin transitional zone of grey marl and shales. The upper contact with the
Sakesar Limestone is conformable, sharp and distinct (Plate 4.23).
Fossils
The Formation contains mollusks and foraminifera. Some important
foraminifera include Nummulites atacicus, N. subatacicus, N. mamillatus, N.
irregularis, Assilina granulosa, A. laminosa, A. spinosa, A. subspinosa, A.
daviesi, Lockartia tipperi, L. hunti, L. conditi and Discocyclina ranikotensis (Kazmi
and Abbasi, 2008).
Age
On the basis of the above fauna, Late Paleocene to Eocene age has been
assigned to this formation.
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Lithology
The formation consists predominantly of limestone with subordinate marl.
The limestone throughout its extent is cream colored to light grey, nodular,
usually massive with considerable development of chert in the upper part.
In the mapped area, the Sakesar limestone is composed of dense
homogeneous limestone which varies from light grey to dark grey in color. It is
massive to thick bedded and is highly fossiliferous at places.
Topographic Expression
It forms high peaks, cliffs and prominent escarpment.
Contacts
The formation conformably overlies the Nammal Formation.
Fossils
The Sakesar Limestone has a sporadic capricious distribution of fossils.
Foraminifers are most abundant followed in numbers by mollusks and echinoids.
Age
On the base of fauna, Early Eocene age has been given to this unit
(Kazmi and Abbasi, 2008).
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Plate 4.1 Facing towards West, marl of Salt Range Formation in Chhibra Nala
(lat. 32° 27 4.43 , long. 72°14 38.89 )
Plate 4.2 Facing towards NW, dolomite and oil shales of Salt Range Formation in
Nanj Nala (lat. 32° 26 20.38 , long. 72°12 24.99 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Plate 4.3 Facing towards SE, wedge cross bedding in Khewra Sandstone, Nanj
Nala (lat. 32° 26 40.95 , long. 72°12 58.67 )
Plate 4.4 Facing towards SE, Thin horizon showing load-induced convolute
lamination in silty mudstone sandwiched between fine sandstone beds ( ball and
pillow structure), Khewra Sandstone, Nanj Nala (lat. 32° 26 42.76 , long.
72°12 23.74 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Khewra Sandstone
Plate 4.5 Facing towards NNW, contact between Salt Range Formation and
Khewra Sandstone, in Sola Nala (lat. 32° 27 27.33 , long. 72°13 5.51 )
Tobra Formation
Khewra Sandstone
Plate 4.6 Facing towards SE, contact between Khewra Sandstone and Tobra
Formation, in Chhibra Nala (lat. 32° 27 5.01 , long. 72°14 37.74 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Massive white
Sandstone
Cross bedded
siltstone
Red Sandstone
Plate 4.7 Facing towards NE, different lithologic units of Tobra Formation (lat. 32°
27 5.01 , long. 72°14 37.74 )
Plate 4.8 Facing towards E, tabular cross bedding in the siltstone unit of Tobra
Formation, Chhibra Nala (lat. 32° 27 5.01 , long. 72°14 37.74 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Plate 4.9 Facing towards E, Grit lens in the black Shale of Tobra Formation,
Chhibra Nala (lat. 32° 27 5.01 , long. 72°14 37.74 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Amb Formation
Sardhai Formation
Plate 4.11 Facing towards NNW, contact between Sardhai Formation and Amb
Formation along Sakesar-Khushab road (lat. 32° 26 42.75 , long. 72°13 41.34 )
Plate 4.12 Facing towards NNE, an outcrop of Wargal Limestone along Sakesar-
Khushab road (lat. 32° 27 59.04 , long. 72°13 38.77 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Plate 4.13 Facing towards EEN, stromatictic structure in Wargal Limestone (lat.
32° 31 59.49 , long. 72°12 58.47 )
Plate 4.14 Facing towards EEN, tooth like stylolites in Wargal Limestone (lat. 32°
31 59.21 , long. 72°12 58.74 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Hangu
Formation
Chhidru
Formation
Plate 4.17 Facing towards SE, contact between Chhidru Formation and Hangu
Formation, near Dada Golra Sharif (lat. 32° 27 35.73 , long. 72°11 20.39 )
Plate 4.18 Facing towards NNW, Mittiwali Member of Mianwali Formation, near
Dada Golra Sharif (lat. 32° 27 44.54 , long. 72°11 43.23 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
White Quartz
Arenite
Plate 4.19 Facing towards N, different units in Hangu Formation, near Dada
Golra Sharif along Sakesar-Khushab road (lat. 32° 28 4.3 , long. 72°12 8.9 )
Patala Formation
Hangu Formation
Plate 4.20 Facing towards NE, contact between Hangu Formation and Patala
Formation along Sakesar-Khushab road (lat. 32° 28 8.61 , long. 72°13 43.10 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Plate 4.21 Facing towards S, only outcrop of Lockhart Limestone, near Dada
Golra Sharif (lat. 32° 28 51.09 , long. 72°12 24.48 )
Plate 4.22 Facing towards NNE, Ichno fossils in Patala F2ormation, near
Chapphari village (lat. 32° 28 26. , long. 72°13 10.56 )
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Chapter # 4 Stratigraphy
Sakesar Limestone
Nammal Formation
Plate 4.23 Facing towards NE, contact between Nammal Formation and Sakesar
Limestone along Sakesar-Khushab road (lat. 32° 28 47.05 , long. 72°12 36.65 )
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