Salt Range Report by Mujtba

GEOLOGICAL FIELD REPORT ON SALT RANGE AND
TRANS INDUS AREA
Submitted By
Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah
Supervisors
Mr. Azhar Farooq Swati & Mr. Nowrad Ali
Roll number Department
02 and 16 Geology, University
Of Peshawar
Table of Content
1-Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………...………..2
2-Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….3
3- Stratighraphy of Salt Range……………………………………………………………...6
4- Day 1…………………………………………………………………………………….....7
●Chorgali fm………………………………………………………………………7
●Murre fm…………………………………………………………………………8
●Nagri fm …………………………………………………………………………9
●Dhok Pathan fm ………………………………………………………………...10
●Sakesar fm………………………………………………………………………..11
5-Day 2……………………………………………………………………………………… 12
●STOP 1: CHOA SEDAN SHAH ROAD……………………………………….12
●STOP 2:KEWRHA GORGE…………………………………………………....15

6-Day 3…………………………………………………………………………………………………18
●STOP 1: SURGHAR RANGE (CHICHALI GORGE)……………………….18
●STOP 2: MARI INDUS AREA………………………………………………..29

7-Day 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………..30
●STOP 1: ZALUCH GORGE…………………………………………………...30

●STOP 2:NAMMAL GORGE…………………………………………………….39
8-summary………………………………………………………………………………………………48
Page | 1 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, I pay my deepest thanks to Almighty Allah who enabled me to complete
this fieldwork report successfully. I am greatly thankful to the Department of Geology
and Mr. Azhar Swati and Mr. Nowrad for giving us an opportunity to the geological
field in covid-19 lockdown and also thankful for their guidance and help us to
understand the field area .

2. Abstract:
The Salt range of Pakistan is the 2nd largest salt range of the world and largest in Asia.
It lies in the Upper Indus basin.The Salt range is bounded from the north by Potowar
plateau, from the east by Jehlum river or Jehlum fault, from south by Punjab plains
and from the west by Indus river
(Genralized map of Salt Range and trans Indus Area)

The Salt range has been divided into three regions i-e eastern, central and western.
Salt Range of Pakistan
Western Salt Range Central Salt Range Eastern Salt Range

Warcha Mandi Nila wahan Jogi tilla
to to to
Mari Indus Warcha Mandi Nila wahan
Chart By Ahmad Mujtaba
The range has been exposed due to the thrust fault known as Salt Range Thrust (SRT),
where Punjab plains thrusted over the Salt range. The range is E-W oriented and
dipping North. The rocks here exposed range from Precambrian to recent in a very
nice sequence, where there also are several major unconformities, that’s why it is of
prime importance.
(Cross section view of Salt range Thrust all strata diping toward north)

AGE GROUP FORMATION
LEI CONGLOMERATE
LOWER - UPPER PLIOCENE SOAN
MIDDLE PLIOCENE DHOK PATHAN
LOWER - MIDDLE PLIOCENE NAGRI
MID - LOWER PLIOCENE SIWALIK CHINJI
MID - LOWER MIOCENE KAMLIAL
RAWALPINDI MURREE
MID - LOWER MIOCENE CHORGALI
SAKESAR
CHERAT NAMMAL
PALEOCENE PATALA
LOKHART
MAKARWAL HANGU
LOWER CRETACEOUS LUMSHIWAL
cretaceous SURGHAR CHICHALI
SAMANASUK
MIDDLE JURASSIC Shinawri
UPPER JURASSIC Baroch DATTA
UPPER TRIASSIC KINGRIALI
MIDDLE TRIASSIC TREDIAN
LOWER TRIASSIC MUSAKHEL MIANWALI
UPPER PERMIAN CHIDRU
UPPER PERMIAN WARGAL
UPPER PERMIAN ZALUCH AMB
LOWER PERMIAN SARDHAI
LOWER PERMIAN WARCHHA
LOWER PERMIAN NILAWAHAN DANDOT

LOWER PERMIAN TOBRA
MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN BHAGANWALA
MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN JUTANA
MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN KUSSAK
MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN JHELUM KHEWRA
Pre-cambrian Saltrange
Stratighraphy of Salt Range

DAY 1
KALAR KAHAR & KATAS
CHOR GALI FORMATION

Group: Chorgali formation belongs to the Cherat group and lies near Kalar kahar. (we were
standing at top of Salt range formation)
Lithologies: It consists of limestones, dolomites, and shales. The top portion is rich
in dolomites and limestones while the bottom portion is rich in shales.
Color: The limestone and dolomite are of milky white colors. While shale is of various colors i-
e dark red, olive green, yellow and brown as well.
Age: It belongs to the Early Eocene age. It is older than murre formation because chorgali clasts
are found in murre formation.
Fauna: It comprises marine fauna mainly forams (Nummulite and Assilina).
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is unconformable with Murree formation.
Lower Contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Sakesar formation.
(Dolostone of chorgali formation) ( Numulite of chorgali fm )

MURREE FORMATION
Group: It belongs to Rawalpindi group.

Molasses of Pakistan: The erosional sediments of the Himalayas, after the Himalayan
uplift, deposited in the foreland in the form of Rawalpindi and Siwalik groups, which
are known as molasses.
Lithology: This formation is mainly composed of sandstones and shales.
Color: The overall color of the formation is dark brown.
Age: It belongs to Early Miocene age.
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is with Kamlial formation. Which is Conformable.
Lower Contact: Its lower contact is with Chorgali formation. Which is unconformable.
(Murre formation marked by unconformity with its lower contact)

NAGRI FORMATION
Group: It belongs to Siwalik group.
Lithology: The formation consist of 75% sandstone 25% clay and conglomerate.
Color: sandstone color is olive green and color of clay is redish.
Sedimentry structure: Sands stone showing cross bedding.
Fossils: It is rich in vertebrates fauna.
Age: Early Pliocene.
Contacts:
Upper contact: its upper contact is with dhok Pathan formation which is conformable.
Lower contact: its lower contact is with chinji formation which is also conformable.
(Cross bedding and conglomerate in Nagri formation)

CHINJI FORMATION
(there we observed this formation from afar)

Group: Chinji formation belongs to siwalik group.
Lithology: It is mainly composed of 25% sand and 75% shale.
Color: Sand is brownish grey while shale is red in color.
Fauna: It consists of vertebrate fossils i-e crocodile and lizards etc.
Age: It belongs to early Pliocene
DHOK PATHAN FORMATION
Group: this formation also belongs to Siwalik group.

Lithology: The formation consist alternating layer of 50% sandstone and 50%
clay beds.
Color: sandstone is mostly of green color and clay is orange to dull color
Fossils: vertebrate fauna has been recorded from this formation
Age: Middle Pliocene.
Contacts:
Upper contact: its Upper contact is with soan formation which is conformable.
Lower contact: its Lower contact with Nagri formation which is conformable.

(alternating layer of clay and sand stone)
LOWER PART OF CHORGALI FORMATION
Here lower part of chorgali formation are also exposed which overly sakesar formation
near Katas Raj mandar.
Lithology: poorly compacted shale.
Color: brown + olive green
Contact: lower contact with sakesar formation

(Chorgali poor compacted shale on top of sakesar fm)
SAKESAR FORMATION
Group: Sakesar formation belongs to Cherat group and is located at Katas Raj Mandar.
Lithology: It consist nodular limestone. This limestone consist chert nodule but we
didn’t saw it in Eastern Salt Range.
Fauna: same as Chorgali formation like (Nummulite and Assilina).
Age: Early Eocene age .
Color: The overall color of the lithology is whitish to greyish on fresh surface and
brown on weathered surface.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Chorgali formation.
Lower Contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with Nammal formation.

(showing sakesar formation upper contact with chorgali formation)
DAY 2
STOP 1: CHOA SEDAN SHAH ROAD
BAGHANWALA FORMARTION
Group: Baghanwala formation belongs to Jehlum group.

Lithologies: It mainly contains sandstones and shales.
Color: Overall lithology here gives red color.
Salt pseudomorphs: Due to salt precipitation, the salt pseudomorph structures have
been preserved there in the rocks replaced by clay.

Fauna: this formation contain plant fossils (Glossopteris and Gangamopteris)
Age: It belongs to mid Cambrian ages.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is unconformable with Tobra formation. The
unconformity is from Ordovician – carboniferous.
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with Jutana formation.
(Showing contact between baghanwal and tobra) ( Salt pseudomorph in Baghanwal formation)
TOBRA FORMATION
Group: Tobra formation belongs to Nilawahan group.

Lithologies: At Eastern salt range Tobra formation mainly contains Tilitic facies i-e
conglomerates along with shales .here clasts are in great amount.
Faceted cobble: here we observe faceted cobble which indicate glacial movement.

Composition : Conglomerates here are composed of the various clasts derived from
Indian shield rocks, which are mostly granitic.
Age: Tobra formation belongs to Early Permian age.
Fauna: Pollens and spores dominate Tobra formation as fossils.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Dandot formation.
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is unconformable with Baghanwala formation.
(showing contact between tobra and Baghanwala formation)
DANDOT FORMATION
Group: Dandot formation also belongs to Nilawahan group.

Lithologies: It contains massive sandstones and shales.
Color: The overall color of the lithology here is olive green.
Age: It belongs to Early Permian age.
fauna: They contain fresh water fauna.
Contacts:
Upper contact: The upper contact of Dandot formation is conformable with Warccha
formation.
Lower contact: The lower contact of Dandot formation is conformable with Tobra
formation .
(showing Dandot formation see sky line)

STOP 2: KEWRHA GORGE
Kewrha gorge is known as “Museum of Geology” because of presence of different lithologies
in good succession manner i-e from Precambrian to Eocene, which are described as follow.
SALT RANGE FORMATION
Introduction: Salt range formation is the oldest of all formation in the Salt Range.
Salt Diaperism: As salt is less dense than other rocks, so when it gets the space at the
surface, it exposes itself, same is the story here with this salt that is the reason of no
bedding pattren.
Members: Salt range formation further divided into three member which is following
Bilianwala Salt Member: This member is oldest and contains iron rich marls with
thick seams of salt we saw this member in mine.
Bandarkas Gypsum: This member contains red gypsum also having Salt vien .
Sahiwal Marl Member:This member is younger and It contains two types of marls,
one is having bright color while the other is having dull color.
Khewrite: Here In sahiwal marl member we also saw the Igneous intrusions call
khewrite having pyroxene needles.
Contact:
upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Kewrha formation.
Lower contact: its lower contact is not expose but at some oil well its lower contact
with indian shield rocks.
(sahiwal marl) (Bhilliawala salt)

KHEWRHA FORMATION
Group: It belongs to Jehlum group

Lithologies: Kewrha formation consist mostly sandstones and shales.
Color: Both the lithologies give maroon color.
Bedding: The bedding there is lens like.
Fauna: Trails of trilobites are reported here.
Sedimentary structures: Different sedimentary structures were observed over there;
ball and pillow structure, ripple marks, cross beds etc.
Age: Due to index fauna, they are termed as cambrians.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Kussak formation.
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with Salt range formation.
(ball and pillow structure) ( cross bedding in Khewra sandstone)

KHUSSAK FORMATION
Group: khussak formation is also belong to Jehlum group.

Lithologies: It consists of basal conglomerates and glauconitic sandstones.
Color: The overall color of the lithology is olive green .
Fauna: it contains warm burrows , neobolus( brachiopods) , plecepods .
Neobolus beds: Due to presence of fossilified neobolus brachiopods, the formation is
also known as Neobolus beds.
Age: It’s age according to index fauna is early to mid Cambrian.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Jutana formation.
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with Kewrha formation.
(warm burrows in Khussak formation)

JUTANA FORMATION
(We missed this formation due to vegetation but sir explain it)
Group: Jutana formation is also belong to Jehlum group.

Lithology: It is dominated by dolomites, dolomitic sandstones and sub ordinate shales
as well.
Age: It belongs to mid Cambrian.
Contacts:
Upper contact: It’s upper contact is conformable with Baghanwala formation Lower
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with khussak formation.
DAY 3
TRANS INDUS RANGES
STOP 1: CHICHALI GORGE

(Chichali formation is missing in salt range thats why we move toward chichali
gorge)
CHINJI FORMATION
Group: Chinji formation belongs to siwalik group.

Lithology: It is mainly composed of 25% sand and 75% shale.
Color: Sand is brownish grey while shale is red in color.
Fauna: It consists of vertebrate fossils i-e crocodile and lizards etc.

Age: It belongs to early Pliocene.
Contact:
Lower contact: Its lower contact is unconformable with Sakesar formation at chichali
gorge.
(Showing fold in chinji formation)
SAKESAR FORMATION
Group: Sakesar formation belongs to Cherat group.
Lithology: It consist nodular limestone. This limestone consist chert nodule here.
chert nodule: they form from redeposition of amorphous silica arising from
dissolution of silicious sponge or radiolaria and postdepositional enclosing in
limestone.
Fauna: same as Chorgali formation like (Nummulite and Assilina).
Age: Early Eocene age .
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is unconformable with Chinji formation at Surghar
Range .
Lower Contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Nammal formation.
(contact between sakesar and chinji) (chert nodule in sakesar formation)
NAMMAL FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to cherat group.

Lithology: Nammal formation consist of alternating limestone and shale.
Nodularity: No nodularity is shown by limestone.
Conchoidal fracture: It shows conchoidal fracture.
Color: Shale gives bluish color.
Fauna: Forums are mostly found there.
Age: It dates back to early Eocene age.
Contact:
Upper contact: It is conformable with Sakesar limestone.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Patala formation.
(contact between sakesar and nammal)
PATALA FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to Makarwal group. Also call cocina beds.
Lithology: Lithology is composed of limestone and shale.
Color: Limestone is rusty brown while shale is dark grey in color.
Fauna: Forums.
Age: Late Paleocene.
Contact:
Upper contact: Its lower contact is conformable with nammal formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with lockhart formation.
(patala formation shales)
LOCKHART LIMESTONE
Group: It is the part of Makarwal group.

Lithology: this formation consist pure limestone with shale horizon.
Nodularity: Limestone of the formation shows nodularity.
Lack chert nodule: no chert is available as it is differentiated from sakesar limestone
by that.
Color: The limestone there mainly gives milky white color.
Fauna: Gastropod , forums mostly found there.

Age: Paleocene.
Contact:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with patala formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with hangu formation.
(contact between lochart and patala) ( showing nodularity in lochart formation)
CHICHALI FORMATION
Group: it belongs to Surghar group.
Lithology: It contains Glauconitic shales and sandstones.
Color: Dark Greenish color is displayed overall.
Fauna: It contains beleminites and nautiloid .
Age: The Chichali formation is cretaceous.
Enviroment : shallow marine.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is with Lumshiwal formation which is conformable.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is with Samana Suk formation which is conformable.

(phosphatic nodule and nautiloid) (belemnite and nautiloid)
SAMANA SUK FORMATION
group: It belongs to Baroch group.

Lithology: Samana Suk formation consist mostly limestones .
Fauna: gastropod and cephalopod found at Samana Suk formation.
Age: samana Suk formation is of Mid Jurassic age.
Burrow molting: There we saw different burrows filled with clay known as burrow
motling.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with chichali formation at Surghar
ranges.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Shinawri formation.

DATTA FORMATION
(Start of normal sequence)
Group: Datta formation is also belongs to Baroch group.

Lithologies: It contains shales, limestones and sandstones.
Color: The whole formation is of variegated color (multi color).
Diagenitic sulfur and laterite: The formation consist also diagenitic sulphur, iron
leaching(laterite) .
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Shinawri formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is unconformable with Kingriali formation.
SHINAWRI FORMATION
Group: Shinawri formation is the part of Baroch group

Lithology: Shinawri formation contains shale, limestones and sandstones.
Color: The color it gives is brownish.
Fauna: pollen and spores.
Age: Early Jurassic age.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Samana Suk formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Datta formation.

(repeated strata)
group: It belongs to Baroch group.

Lithology: Samana Suk formation consist of limestones .
Burrow motling: There we saw different burrows filled with clay known as burrow
motling.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with chichali formation .
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Shinawri formation.

CHICHALI FORMATION
(repeated strata)
Group: it belong to Surghar group.

Lithology: It contains Glauconitic shales and sandstones.
Color: Dark Greenish color is displayed overall.
Fauna: It contains beleminites .
Age: The Chichali formation is cretaceous.
Enviroment : shallow marine.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is with Lumshiwal formation which is conformable.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is with Samana Suk formation which is conformable.
LUMSHIWAL FORMATION
Group: it belong to Surghar group.
Lithology: Lumshiwal formation mainly contains sandstones.
Color: Lumshiwal formation gives variegated color.
Bedding: The bedding there is massive.
Fauna: gastropods.
Age: : middle cretaceous.
Contacts: lower contact is with chichali formation which is conformable

HUNGU FORMATION
Group: this formation belongs to Makarwal group.
Lithology: The formation consists of variegated sandstone, shale, carbonaceous shale

and impure limestone in the salt range also having coal beds.
Age: It belongs to Paleocene ages.
Fauna: terrestrial plant and marine animal fossils.
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Lockhart limestones.
Lower Contact: its lower contact is unconformable with Samana Suk formation.
(showin pit in Hungu formation)
STOP 2: MARI INDUS AREA
Our next stop after Chichali gorge was Mari Indus, where we came across Kalabagh
fault; which is between Salt range and Trans Indus ranges. It is the western boundary
of Salt range i-e along the Indus river. There we also observed well developed, various
colored quartz crystals embedded in Earth .

(rose quartz from mari indus area) (sir explaining Kalabagh fault)
Day 4
STOP 1: ZALUCH GORGE
TOBRA FORMATION
Group: tobra formation belongs to Nilawahan group.

Lithology: It is composed of conglomerate, sandstone here matrix amount increases
while clast amount decrease.
Facies: here in zaluch gorge we study complex facie mean both glacial and fluival.
Tillitic facies: Conglomerate.
Fresh water facies: Sandstone (middle unit).
Fauna: pollen and spores.
Age: It dates back to early Permian.
Contact:
Upper contact: here upper contact is unconformable with warcha( Dandot formation is
missing)
(tobra fresh water facie) (contact between warcha and tobra)
WARCHA FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to Nilawahan group.

Lithology: Arkosik sandstone.
Color: white, red, pink.
Sedimentary structure: The sedimentary structures which we observed are cross
bedding.
Root Casts: They form due to reduction at roots and oxidation outside the roots.
Age: Early Permian

Contact:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with sardhai formation.
Lower contact: here its lower contact is unconformable with tobra formation at zaluch
gorge.
(root cast in warcha formation) (contact between warcha and tobra formation)
SARDHAI FORMATION
Group: Sardhai formation belongs to Nilawahan group.

Lithology: The lithology here is mainly clay.
Color: verigated color lithology.
Age: Its age is early Permian.
Contact:
Upper contact: its upper contact is conformable with Amb formation
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Warcha fm.

(verigated color clay of Sardai formation)
AMB FORMATION
Group: It belongs to zaluch group.

Old name: Lower Productus limestone
Lithology: It consist of shale, limestone and sandstones in three portions like shale at
the top and limestones at the bottom and sandstone at middle.
Fauna: gastropod, brachiopod (productus) .
Age: It is belonging to late Permian.
Contact:
Upper contact: The upper contact is conformable with wargal fm.
Lower contact: The lower contact is conformable with sardai fm.

(contact between warghal and amb formation)
WARGAL FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to Zaluch group.

Old name: Middle productus
Lithology: It is mainly composed of limestone.
Stylolites: It is formed due to the dissolution of calcium carbonate because of
sediments applying pressure.
Fauna: It contains productus.
Age: It belongs to late Permian.
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Chhidru formation.

Lower contact: Its lower contact is also conformable with Amb formation.
CHHIDRU FORMATION
Group: Chhidru formation belongs to Zaluch group.

Old name: upper productus.
Lithology: Chhidru formation consist of limestones (lower part), and sandstones
(upper part).
Color: The overall color of the lithology is olive green and whitish.
Fauna: It contains cephalopods and productus .
Age: The age of chhidru has been dated back to late Permian.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is with Warghal formation which is conformable .

Lower contact (P-T Boundary): There the P-T boundary exists between Chhidru and
Mianwali formation, where 90% of the marine organisms wiped out and a large mass
extinction took place.
( contact between warghaal and chidru formation) ( permo-triasic boundry in salt range Pakistan )
MIANWALI FORMATION
Group: It belongs to Musa Khel group.

Members:
Katwai Member: It contains dolomites. It is oldest unit.
Mittiwali Member: It contains pure shale horizan. It is in middle unit
Narrmia Member: It contains shales, limestones and sandstones as well.
Fauna: ceratite.
Age: it has been dated back to early Triassic.

Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Tredian formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is unconformable with Chhidru formation, which has
been explained earlier.
(boundary between chidru and mainwali formation)
TREDIAN FORMATION
Group: Tredian formation belongs to Musa Khel group.

Members:
Khatkiara Member: It is the upper member and contains massive sandstones.
Landa Member: It is the lower member and contains well bedded shale and
sandstones.
Speckle sandstone: here in sandstone salt and pepper like textures formed due to
oxidized iron concreation call speckle sandstone.
Age: Tredian formation dates back to middle Triassic ages.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Kingriali formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is also conformable and is with Mianwali formation.
( Spekeled structure in sandstone)
KINGRIALI FORMATION
Group: Kingriali formation belongs to Musa khel group.

Lithology: Kingriali formation mainly contains dolomites and sandstones as well.
Color: The overall lithology is light colored.
Age: It has been dated back to late Triassic.
Fauna: mostly Algae

Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is unconformable with Datta formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Tredian formation.
STOP 2:NAMMAL GORGE
WARGAL FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to Zaluch group.

Old name: Middle productus
Lithology: It is mainly composed of limestone.
Stylolites: It is formed due to the dissolution of calcium carbonate because of
sediments applying pressure.
Fauna: It contains productus and so known as middle productus.
Age: It belongs to late Permian.
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Chhidru formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is also conformable with Amb formation.

CHHIDRU FORMATION
Group: Chhidru formation belongs to Zaluch group.

Old name: upper productus.
Lithology: Chhidru formation consist of limestones (lower part), and sandstones
(upper part).
Color: The overall color of the lithology is olive green and whitish.
Fauna: It contains cephalopods and productus .
Age: The age of chhidru has been dated back to late Permian.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is with Warghal formation which is conformable .
Lower contact (P-T Boundary): There the P-T boundary exists between Chhidru and
Mianwali formation, where 90% of the marine organisms wiped out and a large mass
extinction took place.

MIANWALI FORMATION
Group: It belongs to Musa Khel group.

Members:
Katwai Member: It contains dolomites. It is oldest unit.
Mittiwali Member: It contains pure shale horizan. It is in the middle unit
Narrmia Member: It contains shales, limestones and sandstones as well.
Fauna: ceratite.
Age: it has been dated back to early Triassic.
Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Tredian formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is unconformable with Chhidru formation, which has
been explained earlier.
TREDIAN FORMATION
Group: Tredian formation belongs to Musa Khel group.
Members:
Khatkiara Member: It is the upper member and contains massive sandstones.
Landa Member: It is the lower member and contains well bedded shale and
sandstones.
Speckle sandstone: here in sandstone salt and pepper like textures formed due to
oxidized iron concreation call speckle sandstone.
Age: Tredian formation dates back to middle Triassic ages.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Kingriali formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is also conformable and is with Mianwali formation.
KINGRIALI FORMATION
Group: Kingriali formation belongs to Musa khel group.

Lithology: Kingriali formation mainly contains dolomites and sandstones as well.
Color: The overall lithology is light colored.
Age: It has been dated back to late Triassic.
Fauna: mostly Algae
Contacts:
Upper Contact: It’s upper contact is unconformable with Datta formation.
Lower contact: It’s lower contact is conformable with Tredian formation.
DATTA FORMATION
Group: Datta formation is also belongs to Baroch group.

Lithologies: It contains shales, limestones and sandstones.
Color: The whole formation is of variegated color (multi color).
Diagenitic sulfur and laterite: The formation consist also diagenitic sulphur, iron
leaching(laterite) .
Contacts:
Upper contact: here in nammal gorge Its upper contact is unconformale with Samana
suk formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is unconformable with Kingriali formation

Group: It belongs to Baroch group.

Lithology: Samana Suk formation consist maily limestones .
Burrow motling: There we saw different burrows filled with clay known as burrow
molting.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with chichali formation.
Lower contact: here in nammal gorge Its lower contact is unconformable with Datta
formation.

HUNGU FORMATION
Group: this formation belongs to Makarwal group.
Lithology: The formation consists of variegated sandstone, shale, carbonaceous shale

and impure limestone in the salt range also having coal beds.
Age: It belongs to Paleocene ages.
Fauna: terrestrial plant and marine animal fossils.

Contacts:
Upper Contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Lockhart limestones.
Lower Contact: its lower contact is unconformable with Samana Suk formation.
LOCKHART LIMESTONE
Group: It is the part of Makarwal group.

Lithology: The lithology of this formation is dominated in pure limestone.
Nodularity: Limestone of the formation shows nodularity.
Lack of Chert nodule : no chert is available as it is differentiated from sakesar
limestone by that.
Color: The limestone there mainly gives milky white color.
Fauna: Forums and Gastropod.
Age: Paleocene.
Contact:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with patala formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with hangu formation
PATALA FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to Makarwal group.Also call cocina beds.

Lithology: Lithology is composed of limestone and shale.
Color: Limestone is rusty brown while shale is blackish in color.

Fauna: Forums, Molluscs and brachiopods.
Age: Late Paleocene.
Contact:
Upper contact: Its lower contact is conformable with nammal formation.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with lockhart formation.
NAMMAL FORMATION
Group: This formation belongs to cherat group

Lithology: Nammal formation is prominently composed of alternating limestone and
shale
Nodularity: No nodularity is shown by limestone.
Conchoidal fracture: It shows conchoidal fracture.
Color: Shale gives bluish color.
Fauna: Forums are mostly found there.
Age: It dates back to early Eocene age.
Contact:
Upper contact: It is conformable with Sakesar limestone.
Lower contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Patala formation.

SAKESAR FORMATION
Group: Sakesar formation belongs to Cherat group.

Lithology: It is dominated by pure nodular limestone. Along which we can also see
chert nodules.
Fauna: foraminifera (Nummulite and Assilina).
Age: it has been dated back to Early Eocene ages.
Color: The overall color of the lithology is whitish to greyish on fresh surface and
brown on weathered surface.
Contacts:
Upper contact: Its upper contact is conformable with Chorgali formation.
Lower Contact: Its lower contact is conformable with Nammal formation.

SUMMARY
Filed trip to Salt range was our first ever multiday field; where we spend four days in
observing different rock lithologies in the form of different groups, formations,
members and beds as well. We observed different conformable and unconformable
contacts of the formations and also came to see different sedimentary structures like
ripple marks, ball and pillow structures and many more. Apart from it we also studied
different fossils like belmnites, brachiopods, trilobites, forams and their traces along
with warm burrows and root casts.
On the first day of our field we started from the eastern side of salt range and studied
Chorgali formation, Murree formation Nagri formation, Chinji formation, Dhok
Pathan formation and Sakesar formation at kallar kahar area . Then on our second day
we came across Baghanwala, Tobra and Dandot formations along choa Sedan shah
road. Then we moved toward Kewrha gorge; which was really very adventurous for
all of us. There we studied thoroughly Salt range formation of Precambrian and
Kewrha, Khussak and Jutana formations of Cambrian.
On the third day of our field, we visited Trans Indus ranges, where we studied geology
of Chichali gorge; There stratigraphic sequence is disturbed by Chichali fault and
Surghar fault at first the older formations lie over the younger ones in the following
sequence; Chinji formation, Sakesar formation, Nammal formation, patala formation,
Lockhart formation, Chichali formation, Samana suk formation and then the normal
sequence starts in the following manner; datta formation, Shinawri formation, Samana
Suk formation, Chichali formation and Lumshiwal formation.
After that we stopped at Mari Indus, where we observed observed Kala bagh fault.
And mari diamonds which is embedded in Earth.
On the 4th day we at first visited Zaluch gorge and studied the following sequence;
Tobra formation, Warcha formation, Sardhai formation, Amb formation, Wargal
formation, Chhidru formation, Mianwali formation, Tredian formation and Kingriali
formation.
Then we move toward Nammal Gorge, where we studied formations in the following
sequence; Wargal formation, Chhidru formation, Mianwali formation, Tredian
formation, Kingriali formation, Data formation, Samana Suk

formation, hangu formation, Lockhart formation, Patala formation, Nammal formation
and Sakesar formation, Which was the end of our first multiday field ever.
REFERENCES
●Field observations.
●Handouts provided by Sir Azhar Farooq Swati.
●Points in mind from the lectures of Sir Azhar F. Swati.
●Hints given by teachers at the field.
●Field area map copied from google.


Salt Range Report by Mujtba

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Salt Range Report by Mujtba

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GEOLOGICAL FIELD REPORT ON SALT RANGE AND

TRANS INDUS AREA

●STOP 2:KEWRHA GORGE…………………………………………………....15

●STOP 1: SURGHAR RANGE (CHICHALI GORGE)……………………….18

●STOP 2: MARI INDUS AREA………………………………………………..29

●STOP 1: ZALUCH GORGE…………………………………………………...30

Page | 1 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Page | 2 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

(Genralized map of Salt Range and trans Indus Area)

Page | 3 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Salt Range of Pakistan

Western Salt Range Central Salt Range Eastern Salt Range

Chart By Ahmad Mujtaba

Page | 4 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

LOWER - UPPER PLIOCENE SOAN

MIDDLE PLIOCENE DHOK PATHAN

LOWER - MIDDLE PLIOCENE NAGRI

MID - LOWER PLIOCENE SIWALIK CHINJI

MID - LOWER MIOCENE KAMLIAL

MID - LOWER MIOCENE CHORGALI

LOWER CRETACEOUS LUMSHIWAL

cretaceous SURGHAR CHICHALI

MIDDLE JURASSIC Shinawri

UPPER JURASSIC Baroch DATTA

UPPER TRIASSIC KINGRIALI

MIDDLE TRIASSIC TREDIAN

LOWER TRIASSIC MUSAKHEL MIANWALI

UPPER PERMIAN CHIDRU

UPPER PERMIAN WARGAL

UPPER PERMIAN ZALUCH AMB

LOWER PERMIAN SARDHAI

LOWER PERMIAN WARCHHA

LOWER PERMIAN NILAWAHAN DANDOT

Page | 5 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN BHAGANWALA

MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN JUTANA

MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN KUSSAK

MIDDLE - LOWER CAMBRIAN JHELUM KHEWRA

Stratighraphy of Salt Range

Page | 6 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

CHOR GALI FORMATION

(Dolostone of chorgali formation) ( Numulite of chorgali fm )

Page | 7 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Group: It belongs to Rawalpindi group.

(Murre formation marked by unconformity with its lower contact)

Page | 8 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Color: sandstone color is olive green and color of clay is redish.

Sedimentry structure: Sands stone showing cross bedding.

Fossils: It is rich in vertebrates fauna.

Age: Early Pliocene.

(Cross bedding and conglomerate in Nagri formation)

Page | 9 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

(there we observed this formation from afar)

DHOK PATHAN FORMATION

Group: this formation also belongs to Siwalik group.

Page | 10 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

LOWER PART OF CHORGALI FORMATION

Page | 11 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Page | 12 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Group: Baghanwala formation belongs to Jehlum group.

Page | 13 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah

Group: Tobra formation belongs to Nilawahan group.

Page | 14 Design by Ahmad Mujtaba and Shahab Ullah