Report on Field work to salt range

By Tariq Aziz (Deppt Of Geology) University Of Swabi.

To: Muhammad Awais Lecturer Geology

Department, University Of Swabi

A 4 days TRIP TO   salt range.

University of swabi arrange a 4 day trip to the salt range for the student of geology (5th semester). A field trip is related to stratigraphy. The objective for that field trip is to study and observe the lithology, depositional condition, sedimentary structures, rock types, contacts and fossils of that area. Another purpose of that trip is to get the students familiar with some unique characteristics of salt range in Pakistan.

Abstract: The Salt Range contains the most important geologic and paleontological localities in Pakistan, and is one of the outstanding field areas in the entire world. Despite its easy accessibility, it has a wealth of geological and paleontological features. In fact, it represents an open book of geology where various richly fossiliferous stratified rocks are very well exposed due to lack of vegetation.

These include the Permian carbonate succession with its outstanding brachiopod fauna, Lower Triassic ammonoid beds (the Mianwali Formation, formerly known as

"Ceratite Beds"), and Lower Tertiary marine strata with age diagnostic foraminifera.

These rocks also provide an excellent opportunity for appreciation of tectonics in the field. In addition to the easily available roadside geology, some prominent gorges provide fantastic locations to study the sedimentary succession. Older strata are exposed in the eastern Salt Range between the Khewra-Choa Saidan Shah and

Fort Kussak including the famous Khewra Gorge. In the west, beyond Kallar Kahar,

are younger strata such as in the Nilawahan Gorge at Nurpur, the Nammal Gorge

near Mianwali. This succession has been rightly called a Field Museum of Geology and Paleontology and can be classified as one of the great paleontological areas of the world, fully worthy of conservation and protection efforts.

Key Words: Pakistan; Salt Range; geology; stratigraphy.

Figure 1: Map of the Salt Range, Pakistan (after E.H. PASCOE, 1919).

Fig 2...Genral map of salt range

Sakesar lime stone (eastern salt range)

The term Sakesar Limestone was introduced by Gee (in F ermor, 1935)For the most prominent Eocene limestone unit in the Salt and Trans-Indus Ranges.

Belong to chhalai group

Sakesar limestone is of early Eocene in age

Lithology consists of massive and nodular limestone with marls and chert in the upper part.

Fossils are foraminifers, molluscs and echinoids

In the field we see also the contact of sakesar limestone with chorgali formation

Fig sakesar limestone

Fig contact between sakesar limestone and chorgali formation

tobra formation (eastern salt range )

The name Tobra Formation refers to the lowest formation of NilawahanGroup previously known in the literature as "Talchir Boulder Bed" or "Talchir Stage" of Gee (inPascoe 1959), and "Salt Range boulder bed" of Teichert (1967). The type locality is located nearTobra Village

The Tobra Formation depicts a very mixed lithology in which the following three facies arerecognized (Teichert, 1967):1. Tillitic facies exposed in the eastern Salt Range. This rock unit grades into marinesandstone containing Eurydesma and Conularia fauna (Dandot Formation).2. Freshwater facies with few or no boulders. It is an alternating facies of siltstone and shalecontaining spore flora. This facies is characteristics of the central Salt Range.3. The unit with complex facies of diamictite, sandstone and boulder bed increases inthickness in the western Salt Range and Khisor Range.

Belong to nilawahan group.

It is early permain in age .

Lithology consists of conglomeratic sand stone and shales, boulders mainly igneous or metamorphic.

Fig: pic taken on road side of tobra formation

Baghanwala Formation (eastern salt range)

The name Baghanwala Formation is now given to the rocks of the"Pseudo morph Salt Crystal Zone" of Wynne (1878) and the "Baghanwala Group" of Noetling( 1894), which overlies the Jutana Formation. Holland ( 1926) called these beds "Salt Pseudo morphbeds" and Pascoe {1959) named them "Baghanwala Stage". The type section is located nearBaghanwala Village in the eastern Salt Range.

Baghanwala formation is late Cambrian in age .

Belong to Jhelum group.

Lithology consists of blood-red shales and flaggy sandstone with salt pseudo morphs. Thick bedded sand stone with thin beds of shale.

Thickness is,

Medium=10-30 cm

Thick =30-100cm

Very thick=100 or more

Fig. baghanwala formation

Fig. Contact between baghanwala formation and tobra formation.

Salt range formationWynne (1878) named and described the formation as 'SalineSeries'. Gee (1945) called the same unit as the 'Punjab Saline Series'. Asrarullah (1967) has given thepresent name 'Salt Range Formation' after the Salt Range. Khewra Gorge in the eastern Salt Rangehas been designated as the type section.

SALT RANGE IS PRECAMBRIAN IN AGE.

Lithology: The lower part of the Salt Range Formation is composed of red-coloured gypseous marl withthick seams of salt, beds of gypsum, dolomite, greenish clay and low-grade oil shale are theconstituents of the upper part.

It belong to Punjab saline series.

Fig: salt range formation.

Kusuk formation (eastern salt range)

Wynne (1878) applied the name 'Obolus beds' or 'Siphonotrata beds' to a predominantly greenish-grey, glauconitic, micaceous sandstone and siltstone. Waagen and Wynne (1895) used the name "Neobolus beds" for the same unit. Noetling (1894) proposed the name "Kussak group" and finally the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan formalized the name of the unit as Kussak Formation (Fatmi, 1973). The type locality lies near Kussak Fort in the eastern part of the Salt Range.Belong to Jhelum group.

Kusak formation is middle Cambrian in age

Lithology consist greenish-grey, glauconitic micaceoussandstone, greenish-grey siltstone, interbedded with light grey dolomite and some oolitic,arenaceous dolomite.

The formation is fossiliferous

Fig. kusak formation.

Jutana formation: (eastern salt range)

Fleming (1853) named this unit "Magnesian sandstone". Noetling(1894) described it as Jutana stage. The Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan formalized the name asJutana Formation. The type locality lies near Jutana Village in the eastern Salt Range.

Belong to Jhelum group.

Jutana formation is middle Cambrian in age.

Lithology consists of massive light colored dolomite and dolomitic sandstone subordinates shale.

Warcha sand stone (western salt ranges)

The name Warchha Sandstone was coined by Hussain (1967), whichhas been approved by the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan. Prior to the formalization of this

name other terms were used such as the "Warchha Group"ofNoetling (1901), which included the overlying ''Lavender clays" (Sardhai Formation) with it. The names such as "Speckled sandstone" ofGee ( 1945)" and middle speckled sandstone of Waagcn ( 1879) were also prevalent in the literature.

Belong to nilawahan group.

Warcha sand stone are early permain in age.

Lithology consists of red and light colored sand stone and grits in part arkosic clay interbeds.

Fig. warcha sand stone.

Sardai formation (western salt range)

The name Sardhai Formation as approved by the StratigraphicCommittee of Pakistan, was given by Gee. Prior to this Gee (in Pascoe 1959) had called it "Lavenderclay stage ". Wynne ( 1878) had called it "Lavender clays" and Noetling ( 1901) called it the "upperpart of Warchha Group". The type section as suggested by Gee is in the Sardhai Gorge in the easternSalt Range

Belong to nilawahan group.

Sardai formation are early permain in age.

Lithology consist of bluish and greenish grey clay, with some minor sand and siltstone beds. It also contains some carbonaceous shale. The clay prominently displays lavendercolor and contains some copper minerals including chalcopyrite. Minor jarosite, chert and gypsumArc found disseminated in the formation, with occasional calcareous beds in its upper part.

Fig…. sardai clay.

Kewra salt mine…

we also went kewra salt mine. Khewra Salt Mine is situated in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum District. Located about 200 km (125 miles) from Islamabad and Lahore, it is accessed via the M2 motorway, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) off the Lilla interchange while going towards Pind Dadan Khan on the Lilla road. The mine is in mountains that are part of a salt range, a mineral-rich mountain system extending about 200 km from the Jhelum river south of Pothohar Plateau to where the Jhelum river joins the Indus river. Khewra mine is about 288 meters (945 feet) above sea level and about 730 meters (2400 feet) into the mountain from the mine entrance. The underground mine covers an area of 110 km2 (43 sq. miles).

Fig entrance gate of salt mines khewara.

Fig some pic in the salt mines khewara

Fig. view of Kewra Gorge.

Amb formation. (central salt range)

Belong to zaluch group.

Waagen(1891) introduced the name"Amb sandstone beds" to a sequenceof limestone, sandstone and shale exposed near the village of Amb. Teichert (1966) suggested thename Amb Formation to the same unit, which was formalized by the Stratigraphic Committee ofPakistan. As indicated above, the name has been derived from the village of Amb in the central SaltRange, which is designated as the type section for the formation.

Amb formation is late permian in age.

Lithology consists of calcareous sandstone and impure lime stone; carbonaceous shale interbeds.

Fig...Amb formation

Wargal formation. (central salt range)

Noetling (190 1) coined the term "The Wargal group" to apredominantly calcareous unit overlying the Amb Formation in the central Salt Range. The nameWargal Limestone, as approved by the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan was introduced byTeichert ( 1966). For the same rock unit, the name "Middle Products Limestone" was used by Waagen(1879). The type section is ncar Wargal Village in the central Salt Range. Zaluch Na1a in the westernSalt Range has been designated by Teichert ( 1966) as the tentative standard section/ principalReference section.

Belong to zaluch group.

Wargal formation is late Permian in age.

Lithology consist of massive gray limestone, occasional thin carbonaceous shale at base.

Chhidru formation.

The name, "Chhidru beds" was given by Waagen (1891) and"Chhidru Group" by Noctling (1901) to the topmost beds of commonly known "ProductusLimestone" and is derived from Chhidru Nala. The name Chhidru Formation was introduced byDunbar (1933), which is now formalized. Teichert (1966) studied the formation at a number ofPlaces. Kummcl and Teichert (1970) made detailed biostratigraphic studies of the formation anddiscussed its age and relationship with the Triassic rocks.

Belong to zaluch group.

Chhidru formation is late Permian in age.

Lithology consist of limestone, marl, and calcerous sand stone.

Mianwali and kingriali formation.(Triassic)

Both belong to musa khel group.

Mianwali are early Triassic and kingriali are late Triassic.

Lithology of mianwali are olive-green and gray shales with thin limestone and sand stone.

Lithology of kingiali are massive light colored dolomite and dolomitic limestone with sand stone.

Nammal formation.

The term Nammal Formation has been formally accepted by theStratigraphic Committee of Pakistan for the ''Nammal Limestone and Shale" of Gee (in Fermor,1935) and ''Nammal Marl" of Danilchik and Shah (1967) occurring in the Salt and Trans-Indusranges. The section exposed in the NammaJ Gorge (Lat. 32° 40' N: Long. 71 o 07' E) is the typesection. The formation, throughout its extent, comprises shale, marl and limestone~ In the Salt Range,these rocks occur as al~ations. The shale is grey to olive green, while the limestone and marl are The term Nammal Formation has been formally accepted by theStratigraphic Committee of Pakistan.

Belong to chhalai group.

Nammal formation early Eocene.

Lithology is light gray calcareous shale and lime stone. We see here the paleo-triassic boundary.

Fig…Paleo-triassic boundary.

Conclusion . We learn a lot of thing related to the salt range formation and have

also a lot of fun. I am thank full to my dear teachers, Mr. Lawangin Sheikh lecturer/HOD & Mr. Muhammad Awais. And also thank full to all my classmates.

Reference(1) Field report notes.(2) Google,wikifidia(3) Stratigraphy of Pakistan 2009 SM Irahim Shah.