CHAPTER: 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION
The Kirana area comprises of meta-sedimentary and igneous Precambrian rocks which
have been intruded by dykes and sills. An indication of mineralization in the form of quartz veins
is also present in the area but as yet no significant deposit has been reported. The Kirana Hills are
a major source of crushed rock aggregates for private and public sectors in southern and central
Punjab. The pre-Cambrian rocks are considered to be very important throughout the world as
these contain valuable mineral deposits. Hematite mineralization has been noticed in the area.
1.2 OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of the field work was to enhance our knowledge and to understand,
how to analyze the different rock formations, how to measure the dip and strike of the formations
and draw rough sketches of the area. Also the purpose was to make our practical knowledge
sounder and to identify the various features that are exposed in the outcrop.
1.3 LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY
Sargodha is the 11th largest city of Pakistan and 5th largest of Punjab. It is located in the
north-east of Pakistan. It is known as best citrus-producing and also one of the ore producing
cities of Pakistan. Map 1.1 shows the satellite view of Sargodha.

Map: 1.1 Satellite image of Sargodha

The coordinates of Sargodha are 32.0836 N and 72.6711 E. The city is easily accessible
from Islamabad via Islamabad motorway. Sargodha is located 206 km (128 miles) from Lahore
1

the second largest city in Pakistan and 244 km (152 miles) from Islamabad. The route map from
Islamabad to Sargodha is shown below in map 1.2.

Map: 1.2
Route map
from
Bahria
University
Islamabad
to
Sargodha

Chiniot city is located between the heart of river Chenab with the heads of small rocky hills,
it is known for its wooden furniture architecture which has a great attraction in all over the
world. Map 1.3 shows the satellite view of Chiniot.

Map: 1.3 Satellite image of Chiniot

The coordinates of chiniot city are 31.7200 N and 72.9789 E. Chiniot is located 55km
from Sargodha and is easily accessible.
1.4 METHODOLOGY
The methodology by which we studied Stratigraphy is:
1

Observe the formation members, outcrops, and lithology and make cross-sections.

Measure the dip strike and draw the sketches of the deformational structures

3.

Take samples and cross match to observe similarities and differences.

CHAPTER 2
GENERAL GEOLOGY
2.1 TECTONIC SETTING OF THE AREA
Kirana Hills in Pakistan are exposed in the Punjab plains and represent remnants of the
Precambrian igneous activity within the Kirana-Malani basin of NE Gondwana. They are mainly
comprised of mafic and felsic rocks which belong to tholeiitic basalt-rhyolite magma association
with meta-sediments. Mafic rocks are mainly comprise of tholeiitic basalts, basaltic andesite and
felsic rocks are rhyolites and minor dacites. Rhyolites and dacites are meta-aluminous to prealuminous sub alkaline rocks which are generated from partial melting of continental crust.
Rhyolite volcanism occurred during the separation of Radinia supercontinent as a result
of tectonic events with Kirana Malani basin. The Kirana Hills area has total estimated aggregate
reserves of about 3097.3 million tons. The total reserves for dolerites are 487.3 Mt, 337.0 Mt for
rhyolites, 209.1 Mt for volcanogenic slates and 2063.9 Mt for quartz.
2.2 TOPOGRAPHY OF AREA
The Kirana Hills is a small mountain range in Pakistan's Punjab province. It spans
approximately 40 miles across the districts of Sargodha and Jhang. The highest peak in the
Kirana Hills is Koh-e-Kirana, which is about 980 feet high. The region is also known as "Black
Mountains" by locals because of the dark brown colors of the range. The Kirana Hills and its
environs are heavily infested with wild boar or wild pig.
2.3 FORMATIONS OF THE STUDY AREA
Table 2.1 shows the various formations of the Kirana area.

Group

Machh Super

Formation

Description

Sharaban formation

Conglomerates with slate

Hadda formation

intercalations.
Calcareous quartzite

Asianwala Formation

Mainly quartzite with sub ordinate

Group

quartz wackes / arenaceous slates,

gritty quartzite and slates, often
showing cross bedding and ripple
Tuguwali Formation

marks
Slates, fine grained quartz wackes /

Chak 112 Conglomerates

arenaceous slates
Polymict conglomerate with clasts
of dolerite and acid
Volcanics.
Often interbedded with rhyolite /

Volcanogenic slates
Hachi volcanics

rhyolitic tuff and

dolerite
Dolerites, andesites, dacites, dacitic

Volcanics

tuff, rhyolites and

Rhyolitic tuff.
2.3.1 Hachi Group
Named after the type Locality at Hachi Hill lies between latitude 31 54' 09" N and
longitude 72 41' 59" E, north of Sikhanwali railway station, this formation consists of quartzite,
slates, phyllites, tuffs and lava flows. At the type locality it is 404 m thick. The quartzite in the
formation are light to medium grey, medium grained and comprise rounded to sub-rounded
quartz grains with clay minerals .The tuffs are light grey, interlayered with lavas and metasediments. The lavas are largely rhyoloitic to dacitic with minor andesite and no pillow
structures.
2.3.2 Tuguwali Formation
5

This formation is named after the Tuguwali Village which lies between the latitude 31 56N
and longitude 72 42'E and the type section is south of Kirana Hill, located at the coordinates 31
58' 3''N and 72 42' 0''E .This formation is entirely composed of sedimentary rocks with phyllites
and slates dominating its upper part, slates in its middle part and cross bedded quartzite, phyllites
and slates in its lower part .The formation is about 1189 m thick. The lower contact of this
formation with the underlying Hachi formation is obscure. Its upper contact with the Asianwala
formation is gradational.
2.3.3 Asianwala Formation
The formation drives its name from the Asianwala canal rest house which lies between
latitude 31 59' 38''N and 72 43' 42''E. The Kirana Hill, near Sargodha, is the type locality. This
formation is largely comprised of quartzite with subordinate intercalations of slate .The quartzite
is off-white to light grey or mottled brown. It is comprised of well-sorted surrounded to rounded
quartz grains. It is thick-bedded, cross-bedded and ripple-marked. The interbedded slates are
grey and occur in thin layers. The upper part of the formation is covered by alluvium .It has a
gradational contact with the underlying Taguwali formation .No fossils have yet been found .At
the type locality the formation is about 250 m thick
2.3.4 Hadda Formation
The formation has been named after the hadda canal rest house, 20 km from Sargodha.
It is largely comprised of quartzite, slates conglomerates and lava flows. At the type locality
it is about 372 m thick .The quartzite are the dominant rock type .They are rusty brown, finegrained and at places cross-bedded. Slumping of beds is also evident at some locations.
The upper part of the formation is dominated by conglomerates, interbedded with lesser
amounts of quartzite. The conglomerates contain flattened pebbles of quartzite slate and lesser
amount of limestone. The middle part is largely composed of light grey to brownish grey fine
grained, thin bedded quartzite. The lower part of the formation is comprised of light grey
quartzite which are highly ferruginous at places.

No fossils have been found .the formation is exposed in isolated hillocks without any connection
with older sequences. According to Alam et al (1992), it is conformably overlain by the Sharaban
formation
2.3.5 Sharaban Formation
Named after the type locality at Sharaban hill, about 18 km SE of Sargodha the formation is
characterized by a 120 m thick sequence of conglomerates with minor lenses of fine-grained
quartzite.
The conglomerate is thick bedded (5-10 m) and contains flattened and elongated pebbles and
cobbles (1-10cm) of quartzite and slate, apparently derived from the older sequences in this
region. The conglomerate also contains limestone pebbles that must have come from distant
source since there are no limestone outcrops in this region.
No fossils have been found in this formation .Its upper part is covered by alluvium. According to
Alam et al (1992) strati graphically it overlies all the other four formations.

CHAPTER 3 - Day 1
Area
7

Killa Hills Chak#100

3.1 Stop 1
Geographic location of this station was 31, 58, 19.623 N latitude and 72, 38, 14.142
E longitude. Grey to greenish color outcrop had not showed any bedding planes or foliation
planes. Outcrop had no vegetation and texture was medium grain. It was dolerite which was
hypabasal igneous rock. Plagioclase and amphibole was present in outcrop and greenish looking
was due to feldspar. Outcrop was extensively sheared and had quartz veins which was confirmed
by acid test.

Figure 3.1. Light greenish colored dolerite

3.2 Stop 2
As moved further to station 2, another outcrop was observed that was part of shear zone
because rocks were extensively deformed. This outcrop was rugged, non-foliated and greenish to
dark grey in color. At some places changing in color was observed that might be due to
mineralogical change. Deformation in the outcrop was visible as anticlinal structure appeared in
outcrop as shown in fig below. The pattern and inclination of folded beds suggested that it had
been formed via dragging effect.

Figure 3.2. Anticlinal Structure

The absence of layering and shistosity in the outcrop led to the conclusion that it was
neither sedimentary nor metamorphic. But the presence of cryptocrystalline chert and the
absence of porphyritic texture concluded that it was not igneous body. So it was deduced that this
massive shear zone consisted majorly of quartzite, a meta-sedimentary rock because the
convolution banding and joints were also visible at some places.
Measured dip and strike was 68NE and N70W.
An intrusion was also observed in outcrop. Intrusion was dyke had medium grained ophitic
texture which suggested that it belonged to medium depth, hence it was hypabasal intrusion.
Intruded dyke had color variation of light and dark and also had quartz veins confirmed with
acid. Light and dark color variations were due to mineralogical changes. Dark color minerals
were amphibole and light color minerals were plagioclase. On following observations it was
concluded that it was dolerite dyke, younger than quartzite in which it was intruding on principle
of cross cutting relationship. Dyke bearing had NS bearing.

Figure 3.3. Dolerite dyke intrusion

10

CHAPTER 4 - DAY 2
AREA
Sharaban Area/ chak # 102
4.1 Stop 1
Geographical location of first station was 31, 56, 9.292 N latitude and 72, 47, 05 E
longitude. Observed outcrop showed light greyish-brown to brown color. Pothole structures
were observed in outcrop which were formed by physical weathering of whirling water and relics
ripple marks and relics convolution banding were also present.

Figure 4.1. Pothole structure

The outcrop appeared to be quartzite despite the fact that chemical weathering may had
reduced the grain size to fine grain. However the original texture was silt dominant. The presence
of many different sized grains i.e. sand, silt and clay suggested that the quartzite had argillaceous
turbidites. Quartzite body also showed massive lineation as shown in figure below. Dip and
Strike values were measured of quartzite bed. Dip was 85SE and strike was N80E. Pinch out of
calcareous schist between quartzite beds was also observed. Acid test confirmed the presence of
11

calcite as bubble were produced. The calcareous schist had a width of 12 feet and length of 200
feet approximately. Intra-formational conglomerates were the prominent feature in quartzite
showing gradational contact with it.

12

Figure 4.2. Layering in quartzite

Figure 4.3. Intraformational conglomerates

Another feature observed was the sedimentary intrusion into meta-sedimentary quartzite
at the base of the out crop. Intrusion was sedimentary dyke as it composed of conglomerates and
matrix and oriented almost perpendicular to quartzite layering. On basis of cross-cutting
relationship this sedimentary dyke was younger than quartzite. Sedimentary dyke was 14 feet
long and 8 inches thick approximately.

13

Figure 4.4. Sedimentary dyke in quartzite

Observed outcrop had meta-sedimentary quartzite, calcareous schist and intraformational

conglomerates hence named as mlange zone.
4.2 Stop 2
Outcrop was dipping almost perpendicular. How to measure dip and strike with Bruntons
compass was practiced individually. Lithology was turbudites, dipping almost normal to
horizontal surface and showed massive lineation. Measured dip and strike was 85SW dip and
N25W strike.

14

Figure 4.5.Turbidites sequence

4.3 Stop 3
The location had an audit where extensive hydro-thermal activity was observed. Ore
mineralization was observed by hydro-thermal activity and this hydro-thermal ore deposit was
epigenetic, discordant and irregular vein type deposit. Veins color was maroon to brown and had
many minerals probable hematite, illeminte, stibnite, pyrite etc. However when streak of a
sample was checked, it was reddish brown with some shiny elements in it and also had
magnetism. Hence it was concluded that these veins had micaceous hematite mineralization.
On the left side of veins mineralization quartzite was present while rhyolite body on right
side. Rhyolite body was acting as a heat source for mineralization of hematite and others thus
hematite mineralization found in joints and fractures. The presence of clay alongside of the
rhyolite body indicated recent alluvial deposits.

15

Figure 4.6. Hematite mineralization in veins

4.4 Stop 4
After Jumma prayer we stop at place where convolution banding was so prominent and
these convolution bands made the Name of ALLAH Almighty and PROPHET HAZRAT
MUHAMMAD (Peace Be Upon HIM).

Figure 4.7.Convolution banding naming ALLAH Almighty and Muhammad (P.B.U.H)

16

4.5 Stop 5
After the prayer break on station 5, the outcrop was identified as quartzite because sand
size grains are present and it is extensively sheared with joints visible. White colored veins are
present along joints and acid test confirmed it to be calcite. The calcite crystals were observed to
be developed in a jagged shape, they are called Dog-tooth spar.

Figure 4.8. Calcite dog tooth spar

Another unique feature was observed, lens shaped, red colored, thin cryptocrystalline
chert called Jasper, a red variety of quartz an opaque, impure variety of silica. The red color
was due to iron (III) inclusions.

Figure 4.9. Jasper

17

CHAPTER 5 - Day 3
Area
Shaheenabad / Chak 118 South
5.1 Stop 1
Geographic location of stop 1 was 31, 54`, 49.244`` N latitude and 72, 39`, 04.346`` E
longitude. Color, lithology and structural changes were observed. Main lithologies which
identified and sketched were quartzite, basalt, rhyolite and dolerite.
Dolerite was first lithology observed when transverse across strike of outcrop. There was
no lithological change when transverse along strike. After dolerite basalt was present showing
massive columnar jointing. Basalt showed fine grain texture while dolerite had coarser than it.
Quartz veins were also visible in outcrop.
After basalt again dolerite was appeared in outcrop which was in contact with metasedimentary quartzite. Quartzite showed relics of sand stone structures and have very sharp
contact with dolerite.
When transverse further across strike typical featured was appeared which was deduced
as metamorphosed turbidities. Relics of ripple marks and convolution banding was present
showing extensional regime. Mud was textural feature in turbidities.

Figure 5.1. Turbidities showing replica texture.

18

5.2 Stop 2
A basalt body was in contact with turbudites but not showed columnar jointing. Typical structure
was observed which named pillow basalt formed when magma cool with in water.

Figure 5.2. Pillow basalt

5.3 Stop 3
Geographic location was 31, 55`, 3.125`` N latitude and 72, 38`, 31.463`` E longitude.
Typical light color dyke intrusion was observed in dark color rock. Dark color lithology was
basalt of fine grained while light color dyke had coarse grained texture comparatively to basalt.
Main color of the dyke was yellowish and light pink color potassium feldspar was also present.
Dyke contact with basalt was very sharp and had chilled margin. This sharp and chilled contact
showed that dyke formed from low temperature acidic magma which had low temperature
minerals, while country rock basalt had high temperature minerals like olivine, pyroxene etc. So
dyke had not capability to alter the country rock. There was also no wall rock alteration and
veins present. But pieces of basalt were found in the dyke called xenoliths. After long
19

observation of color, texture and other features it was suggested that dyke was acidic and micro
granite. And on the principle of cross cutting relationship acidic dyke was younger than basalt.
Samples were collected and measurement was taken as 500 feet length and 20 feet width
approximately.

Figure 5.3.Dyke intrusion in basalt

Figure 5.4. Xenolith of basalt in micro-granite dyke

20

CHAPTER 6 - Day 4
Area
Chinniot
6.1 Stop 1
The oucrop was light yellowish brown in color with phenocryst texture which suggested
that it was rhyolite extrusion body. Extensive hydrothermal alteration along the joints had given
rise to vein type mineralization of brownish-maroon color. The color suggested that the
mineralization could be of limonite. The mineralization could also have given rise to hematite or
manganese formation as suggested by the color of the outcrop mineralization. The hydrothermal
alteration had also given rise to concentric zonation with in the vein-type mineralization surfaces
of the outcrop. It was evident the rhyolite body had acted as a heat source for the hydrothermal
activity. Thus the joints in the rhyolite got filled with ore mineralizing fluids and hence the
alteration of the rhyolite.

Figure 6.1.Hematite mineralization

21

Figure 6.2. Ore mineralization and joints

6.2 Stop 2
The outcrop was dominantly quartzite with quartz wacke and lithic fragments. The
shearing was also visible in the form of developed sets of joints.
Further along the outcrop a unique feature of dendritic pattern was observed. The pattern
was an indicator of the drainage pattern for the fluid which had caused the mineralization of the
rock. The presence of this type of drainage pattern in the rhyolite further supported the fact that it
had acted as a heat source for the hydro-thermal alteration. The outcrop here also presented with
pink color phenocryst which was an indicator for rhyolite.

Figure 6.3. Dendritic Structure

22

CONCLUSION
The Kirana hills are the few inliers of basement rocks which rise above the Punjab
alluvial plains. They are therefore of great interest as possible representatives of the buried
extension into Pakistan of the NE part of Indian platform. The hills are irregularly shaped
showing a NW trend which tells of regional strike, dips are moderate to high and usually SW
direction. The Precambrian outcrops are composed of meta-sedimentary and igneous rocks. The
meta-sedimentary rocks are represented by quartzite, slates and phyllites while basalt, rhyolite
and dolerites are igneous. Area is extensively sheared, magmatic intrusions can be observed by
presence of dykes, fractures and joints while hematite, calcite and quartz veins represent the
hydrothermal mineralization.

23

REFRENCES
Ahmed, S.A, Mateen, A., Khan, Z.K.and Chaudhary,M.N.,2000.Geology and geochemistry of
Neoproterozoic Kirana Volcanics, Sargodha District, Punjab ,Pakistan. Geol. Bull. Punjab Univ.
Alam, G.S (1987). Geology of Kirana Hills, District Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.Geol.
Bull. Surv. Pak. Inf. Release 201,36p.
Davies, R.G. and Crawford, A.R., (1971). Petrography and age of the rocks of Buland
Hill, Kirana Hills, District Sargodha, West Pakistan.Geol.Mag.108, pp. 235-246.
Heron, A.M. (1913), The Kirana and other hills in the Jech and Rechna Doabs. Recs.
Geol. Surv. India 43, pp. 229-236.

24