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Acknowledgments:
All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds and may Allah perpetually shower His peace and
blessings on Sayyidina Muhammad (PBUH), His last chosen Prophet.
By His blessing and kindness we performed our field work very successfully.
We are thankful to Mr. Faizan-ur-Rehman, Mr.Syed Amjad Bukhari, & Mr. Sajid Ali that they
have given us their precious time and knowledge during field which make us able to write this
report.
We are also thankful to department of our Earth sciences of COMSATS institute of information
technology Abbottabad that helps in arranging our field trip.

Abstract:
The Salt Range contains the most important geologic and paleontologic 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.

Introduction:
The Indus Basin of Pakistan is divided into two parts i.e. Lower Indus Basin and Upper Indus
Basin. The Upper Indus Basin is further divided by Sargodha high way in to two parts. Towards
the east of the Sargodha highway is Potwar Plateau and towards the west is Kohat Plateau. The
region of the North Punjab called as Potwar Plateau, is bound in the South by Salt range and in
North by MBT as shown below

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The name is derived from the fact that area contains huge reserve of the common table salt. Salt
range is one of the few most important localities in the Sub-continent for its interesting
structural, valuable stratigraphic and paleontological record. Salt range is characterized by
extensive Anticlines folds, Synclines folds and various types of Faults. It is also important as a
source of minerals e.g. Halite, gypsum, Coal, fire clay etc. The occurrence of these minerals is
important in stratigraphic as well as paleontological point of view. Thats why Salt range
sequence of Pakistan has fascinitated Geologist from all over the world due to its well preserved
faunal assemblages.
The Salt range strikes almost East-West and terminates at Kalabagh where the range is
intersected by river Indus. Beyond the river Indus the ranges beaks out into various ranges
collectively referred as Trans-Indus ranges. The rocks in the Salt ranges are generally folded and
are typically marked by large and small scale faulting as well as local over-thrusting with
movements towards south. The sedimentary sequence ranges from Pre-Cambrian to the Eocene
and recent age. It is also marked by several unconformities.
In our field visit to the Salt range, we have visited only eastern and western Salt range of the
main Salt ranges. we studied the Khewra Gorge, while in the western Salt range we studied the
Nammal Gorge and Zaluch Nala section. We have studied the stratigraphy and detailed litology
of the various formation exposed in the above said Gorges.
Salt Rang formation: It is the oldest and only Pre-Cambrian age formation exposed
in the Khewra Gorge. It has three members:
Sehwal marl member: This member is further divide into two parts: It consists of dull red marl
beds with some salt seems. Thick beds of Gypsum are also found. Thickness of this part is
>40m. It consists of the bright red marl beds with irregular gypsum. KHEWRA TRAP is also
present in this part. Thickness of this part is 3-100m.

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Bandarkas Gypsum member: It is mainly massive gypsum with some salt seems. Minor beds
of dolomite and clay are also present. Its thickness is >80m.
Billianwala Salt member: It consists of Ferrogenous red marl with thick seems of salt. Its
thickness is >650m. Conjugate fractures are present in all the members.

Contact: Lower contact of the Salt range formation is not exposed but in some oil wells
crystalline basement rocks are found. The upper contact with the Khewra sandstone of Jehlum
group is conformable. Thickness of this formation is >830m.

Environmental Deposition: Environment of deposition is restricted basin condition with

high rate of evaporation and climate is hot and arid.

Khewra Trap: Khewra trap is highly weathered igneous body about 6m thick present in the
upper member of the Salt rage formation. It is purple to green in color. Characteristic feature is
that it consists of highly decomposed radiating needles of light colored Pyroxene mineral. Its
origin is crustal thinning due to normal faulting.

Fig 1

1. JEHLUM GROUP:
Kewra Sandstone:
History:
The name was originally proposed by Noetling (1894) as "Khewra gwup". Prior to that. Wynne
(187F) called the formation" Purple sandstone series ". The latter name continued untill recently
when the name of the formation was formalized as "Khewra Sandstone" by the Stratigraphic
Committee of Pakistan.

Type Locality:

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The type locality is in Khewra Gorge near Khewra Town. Salt Range.

Lithology:
The formation consists predominantly of purple to brown. yellowish brown, fine-grained
sandstone. The lower-most part of the formation is red. Baggy shale. The sandstone is mostly
thick bedded to massive. Sedimentary features like ripple marks. mud cracks etc., are common in
the formation.

Contact:
The contact of the Khewra Sandstone with the underlying Salt Range Formation has long been
the subject of controversy which arose as a result of age dispute of the Salt Range formation.

Environmental deposition:
The formation is predominantly sandstone in the Khewra Gorge; however. in the Khisor Range
the upper part of the formation grades upward into glauconitic sandstone which is taken to mark
the base of the overlying Kussak Formation. The Khewra Sandstone is widely distributed
throughout the Salt Range. Thickness at the type locality is about 150 m. In the western Salt
Range it is 200 m and the exposed thickness in the Khisor Range is about 60 m.

Fossils contain:
The formation contains only a few trace fossils in the Salt Range which have been interpreted as
triiobite trails by Schindewolf and Seilacher (J 955) and are not indicative of any particular age.

Fig 2

Kussak Formation:

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History:
Wynne (1878) applied the name "Obolus beds' or "Siphonotreta beds' to a predominantly
greenish grey. glauconitic, micacecus sandstone and siltstone. Waagen (1895) used the name ..
Neobolus beds '. fOr the same unit. Noetling (1894) proposed the name" Kussak group" and
finally the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan formalised the name of the unit as Kussak
Formation.

Type Locality:
The type locality lies near Kussak Fort in the eastern part of the Salt Range.

Lithology:
the formation is composed of greenish-grey, glauconitic, micaceous sandstone. greenish-grey
siltstone, interbedded with light grey dolomite and some oolitic, arenaceous dolomite. Numerous
layers of intraformational conglomerate are present. Pink gypsum lenses are present near the top.
The formation contains 5 to 25 cm long thin lenses of fossil asphalt (gilsonite) as observed by the
present author. The general lithology throughout the Salt Range and Khisor Range is uniform.
However. thicknesses vary at different places. Thickness at the type locality is 70 111 but varies
from 6 to 53 m at other places. In the Khisor Range the formation is 55 m thick.

Fossils contain:
The formation is fossiliferous and has yielded the following fauna: Neobolus war/hi. Bots/ortila
granulata, Lingulella wanniecki,, Hyolithes wynnei, Redlichta noetlingi.

Fig 3

Jutana Formation:

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History:
Fleming (1853) named this unit " Magnesian sandstone". Noetling (1894) described it as Jutana
stage'. The Stratigrapnic Committee of Pakistan formalised the name a: Jutana Formation.

Type Locality:
The type locality lies near Jutana Village in the eastern Salt Range.

Lithology:
the lower part of the formation consists of light green, hard, massive, partly sandy dolomite and
the upper part is composed of light green to dirty white massive dolomite. In the upper part,
brecciated dolomite is also present with matrix and fragments consisting of the same rock.

Contact:
In the eastern Salt Range the formation is conformably underlain by the Kussak Formation and
conformably overlain
by the Baghanwala Formation.

Environmental deposition:
In the western most Salt Range it is not present. However, farther west, in the Khisor Range. the
formation is conformably overlain by the Khisor Formation (" Khisor gypsiferous beds") which
is equivalent to the Baghanwala Formation of the eastern Salt Range. The formation is thickest in
the eastern Salt Range. whereas at the type locality it is 80 m thick. It thins westward. Its
exposures in the Khisor Range have a thickness of 50 m.

Fossils contain:
The formation is fossiliferous. Schindewolf and Seilacher (in Teichert. 1964) collected and
described some fossils from the shale unit in the middle part of the formation exposed iu the
eastern Salt Range. including Lingulella, Botsjordia granulata, Redlichia noetlingi and also a
gastropod identified as Pseudotheca d. subrugosa.
The age of the formation is described as late Early Cambrian to early Middle Cambrian.

Fig 4

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Baghanwala Formation:

History:
The name Baghanwala Formation is now given to the rocks of the" Pseudornorph Salt Crystal
Zone" of Wynne (1878) and the" Baghanwala Group" of Noetling (1894) which overlies the
Jutana Formation. Holland (1926) called these beds" Salt Pseudomorph beds" and Pascoe (1959)
named them "Baghanwala Stage".
Type Locality:
The type section is located near Baghanwala Village in the eastern Salt Range.

Lithology:
The formation is composed of red shale and clay, alternating with flaggy sandstone. The flaggy
sandstone exhibits several colours including pink grey or blue green, especially in the lower half
of the formation. Sedimentary structures such as ripple marks and mud cracks are common in the
formation. Numerous pseudomorphic casts of salt crystals which are found along the bedding
planes are the diagnostic feature of this Iormation. Northeast of Baghanwala, its thickness ranges
from 100 to 116 m. The same thickness has been reported from northeast of Khewra, but in the
Khewra Gorge it is reduced by erosion to only 40 m.

Contact:
The contact of the Baghanwala Formation with the overlying Tobra Formation is unconformable.
whereas the lower contact with the Jutana Formation is conformable.

Fossils contain:
The formation contains trace fossils. Since the Baghanwala Formation rests conformably on the
Jutana Formation which is considered as early Middle Cambrian in age, the same age may be
assigned to the Baghanwala Formation.

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Fig 5
Tobra formation:
This formation is the first member of the Neela Wahan group. Neela Wahan group represent the
Lower Permian strata of the Salt range.

History:
Talchir boulder beds by Gee and Talchir stage by Pascoe in 1959 was now named as Tobra
formation by stratigraphic committee of Pakistan.

Lithology:
Main lithology of this formation is conglomerate, sandstone and shale. Conglomerate of this
formation is polymictic which means that clasts of this formation are derived from various
sources. Pink colored Granite clasts are very common in these conglomerates which are the part
of the Nager Parker granite in Sindh. Metamorphic slates are also present in this formation.
Striations are also present in this formation which indicates Glacio-Fluvial environment of
deposition of this formation.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is Glacio-Fluvial and Fluvial environment.

Thickness:
Thickness of this formation is 20m in type locality but 133m in the western Salt range.

Contact:

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The upper contact of this formation is with Dandot formation which is transitional and
conformable. The lower contact of this formation in Zaluch Nala is with Lei conglomerate which
is an unconformable contact.

Fossils and Age:

Various fossils reported from this formation are pollens, spores etc. Age assigned to this
formation is Lower Permian.

Fig 6

MIANWALI TRIP
2. ZALUCH GROUP:
Amb formation:
It is the first member of Zaluch Group. Zaluch group represents the Upper Permian strata of the
Salt range.

History:
Amb sandstone beds by Waagen (1891), Amb formation by Teichert is now called as Amb
formation by SCP.

Lithology:
This formation consists of thin to medium bedded sandstone and limestone. Thin beds of shale
are also present. In some portion limestone and sandstone are mixed. When limestone is less then
sandstone, then it is called as Limy sandstone. Limestone is light grey on fresh surface and grey
to brown on weathered surface. Fractures are also present in limestone. Thin layers of organic
shale are also present in this formation.

P a g e | 10

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is Shallow marine to palludal.

Thickness:
This formation is well developed in the western Salt range and thin out east wards. Thickness of
this formation is 80m in type locality and 47 m in Khisor range.

Contact:
Upper contact with Wargal limestone is conformable and the lower contact with Sardhai
formation is also conformable but not present in the Nammal gorge.

Fossils and Age:

This formation is highly fossiliferrous. Typical microfossils are Forms. Most important fossil
group is foraminifera. Example of this group is fusulina which is macrofossil in this microfossil
group. Brachiopods are also present. Due to presence of these fossils the age assigned to this
formation is Upper Permian. Monodeoxydiacathonxis (rice like fossils) also seen here.

Fig 7
Wargal Limestone:
It is the second member of the Zaluch group.

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History:
Wargal group by Noetling (1901), Middle Productus limestone by Waagen (1879), is now
called as Wargal limestone by stratigraphic committee of Pakistan.

Lithology:
This formation is consists of limestone and dolomite. Limestone is argillaceous, somewhat
nodular, thin to medium bedded and highly fossiliferous. Dolomite is pinkish grey in color and
massive. Black colored chert nodules are also present in it. Small scale fault is also visible in this
formation.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is shallow marine shelful, and littoral to super-0tidal
environment.

Thickness:
This formation is well distributed in the Salt range and Khisor Range. Its thickness in Zaluch
Nala is 182m.

Contact:
Lower contact with Amb formation is sharp and conformable and upper contact with Chidru
formation is also transitional and conformable.

Fossils and Age:

This formation is highly fossiliferous. Various fossils found are Brachiopods, Gastropods,
Ammonoids, trilobites etc. Index specie Productus (brachiopod) is also found abundantly in this
formation. Due to presence of these fossils age assigned to this formation is Middle Permian.

P a g e | 12

Fig 8

Chhidro formation:
This formation is third member of Zaluch group.

History:
Chidru beds by Waagen (1891), Chidru Group by Dunbar (1932) is now called as Chidru
formation by the stratigraphic committee of Pakistan. LITHOLOGY: Main lithology of this
formation included limestone, sandstone, and limy sandstone. At the base of the formation, Shale
unit of grey to dark grey color is also present. The upper most part has well marked Sandstone
bed, which is the marker horizon and distinguishing character of this formation.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is shallow marine, littoral to palludal.

Thickness:
This formation is well distributed in the western Salt ranges and Trans Indus ranges. Its average
thickness at the type locality is 64m.

Contact: The lower contact of this formation with Wargal limestone is conformable and
transitional. The upper contact with Mianwali formation is disconformable.

Fossils and Age:

Various fossils reported from Chidru formation are Brachiopods and ammonoites. Due to the
presence of these fossils age assigned to this formation is Late Permian.

P a g e | 13

The Permo-Triassic Boundary:

(The passage of Marine Permian to Marine Triassic) The Permian rocks located in the Salt
Range have richness of fauna and having relationship with the rocks of Triassic system, the strata
near the Permo-Triassic boundary are marine and having conformable relationship but there is
significant break in the fauna at the contact.

The Permo-Triassic boundary is marked by the following properties:

There is abrupt change in the lithology at the boundary of the two system i.e. white sandstone of
Upper Permian and dolomite at the base of Triassic.
The upper most sandstone bed shows decrease in faunal contents which indicate change in
depositional environment during the deposition of white sandstone bed. Kathwai member on the
other hand also lack fossils, indicating shallow intertidal environment. The variation in thickness
of white sandstone bed indicates time gap between Permian and Triassic rocks.

Fig 9
Datta formation: (Sand Stone)
This formation is the first member of the Surgher Group. Surgher group represents the Jurassic
and Cretaceous strata of the Salt Range.

History: Variegated stages by Gee (1945), Lower part of Samana beds by Davies (1930) is
named as Datta formation by Danilchik in1961.

Lithology:
Variegated beds of sandstone, siltstone and shale of different colors are present in this formation.
Sandstone is red to maroon, grey, green and white in color. Shale, siltstone and mudstone are

P a g e | 14

irregularly distributed. In the upper part thick beds of maroon shale are also present. Sulpher is
mostly present in this formation indicating swamp or deltaic environment.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is very shallow marine to deltaic and alluvial
plains.

Thickness:
Thickness of formation at its type locality is 212m.

Contact:
Upper contact of this formation with overlying Shinawri formation is gradational and
conformable. Lower contact with underlying Kingriali formation is disconformable.

Fossils and Age:

This formation is poorly fossiliferrous but some petrified wood is present there. Age assigned to
this formation is Jurassic.

Fig 10
Samana Suk formation:
This formation is member of Sur Gher group. Few beds of this formation are present in Nammal
gorge but it is undifferentiated from the Shinawri formation.

History:

P a g e | 15

Bared limestone by Gee, Upper part of Kyoto limestone by Cutler (1933) is named as
Samana Suk formation by Davies in 1930.

Lithology:
Main lithology of this formation is medium to thick bedded limestone of gray to dark gray color.
This limestone is oolitic with shale beds with subordinate marl and calcareous shale.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition this formation is shallow marine shelful to supertidal environment.

Thickness:
Thickness of this formation at type locality is 186m.

Contact:
Lower contact of this formation with underlying Shinawri formation is conformable and upper
contact with overlying Chichali formation is disconformable.

Fossils and Age:

Various fossils found in this formation are Brachiopods, bivalves, Gastropods and Crinoids. Due
to presence of these fossils age assigned to this formation is Middle Jurassic.
Hangu formation:
This formation is the first member of the Makarwal group. Makarwal group represents the
Paleocene strata of the Salt range.

History:
The Hangu Shale and Hangu Sandstone by Davies (1930) have been formalized by the
stratigraphic committee of Pakistan as Hangu formation.

Lithology:
This formation consists of dark grey, rarely variegated sandstone, shale, carbonaceous shale, and
some nodular argillaceous limestone. The sandstone is white, light gray, and reddish brown,
weathers dark rusty brown, fine to coarse grained and medium to thick bedded.

Thickness:

P a g e | 16

In the Salt range area this formation is 40 to 45m thick.

Contact:
The upper contact of this formation is with Lockhart formation and this contact is transitional
and conformable. The upper contact of this formation is with Samana Suk formation and this
contact is unconformable.

Fossils and Age:

The various fossils found in this formation are foraminifera with some corals, gastropods and
bivalves. Due to the presence of these fossils, the age assigned to this formation is Paleocene.

Fig 11
Lockhart formation:
This formation is the second member of the Makarwal Group.

History:
Davis (1930) introduced the term Lockhart Limestone for a paleocene limestone unit in the
kohat area.

Lithology:
Grey to dark gray, medium to thick massive bedded, brecciated limestone. The limestone
displays very well developed nodularity. The nodularity may be caused by any of the following
four reasons:

Organic activity
Differential compaction
Pressure solution

P a g e | 17

Stretching

Environmental Deposition:
The environment of deposition is shallow marine shelf conditions where calcite is precipated in
warm water to form limestone.

Thickness:
In the Samana Range the formation is 60 meter thick.
Contact: The upper contact with Patala formation is transitional and conformable. The lower
contact is with Hangu formation and the contact is also conformable.

Fossils and Age:

The limestone contains abundant foraminifers, corals, mollucs, Echinoids and algea. On the basis
of these fossils the age of the formation is assigned as Middle Paleocene.

Fig 12
Patala formation:
This formation is the third member of Makarwal group.

History:
Davies Pinfold (1937) named it as Patala shale which later was renamed as the Patala Formation
by the SCP.

Lithology:

P a g e | 18

Alternate beds of Shale, Clay and limestone. Thin bedded sandstone and some interbedded marl
and conglomerate are also present.

Environmental Deposition:
The environment of deposition is transitional, continental and deltaic marine environment.

Thickness:
Type locality is in Patala nala located in the salt range area, where the thickness of the formation
is 90 meters.

Contact:
The upper contact with overlying Nammal formation is transitional and conformable. The lower
contact is with Lockhart formation and it is also transitional and conformable.

Fossils and Age:

The formation is richly fossiliferrous and contains abundant foraminifera and mollusks. On the
basis of the above mentioned fauna, the age assigned to this formation is Late Paleocene.

Fig 13

Nammal formation:
This formation is the first member of the Cherat group. Cherat group represents the Eocene strata
of the Salt range.

History:

P a g e | 19

Nammal limestone and shale by Gee (1935), Nammal Shale by Danilchik and Shah (1967),
is named as Nammal formation by Stratigraphic committee of Pakistan.

Lithology:
Main lithology of this formation is shale, marl and limestone alterations. Shale is gray to green
and fossiliferrous. Lime stone is gray to bluish, argillaceous and highly fossiliferrous. Marl is
light gray to bluish gray and is also fossiliferrous.

Environmental Deposition:
Environment of deposition of this formation is shallow marine to lagoonal environment.

Thickness:
Thickness of this formation at its type locality is 100m.

Contact:
The upper contact of this formation is with overlying Sakessar formation and is transitional and
conformable. The lower contact of this formation is with underlying Patala formation and this
contact is also conformable.

Fossils and Age:

Various fossils found in this formation are Foraminifera and mollusks. Due to the presence of
these fossils, age assigned to this formation is Early Eocene.

Fig 14

Sakessar Limestone:
This formation is the second member of the Cherat Group.

History:

P a g e | 20

Sakessar Limestone by Gee in 1935 was accepted by the Stratigraphic committee of Pakistan.

Lithology:
Bulk of lithology of this formation is limestone which is cream to light gray in color, nodular,
and massive in the upper part and also highly fossiliferrous. Light gray colored Marl is also
found in the top most part and having Chert nodules.

Thickness: Thickness of this formation in Salt range is from70-150m.

Contact: The upper contact is with Chorgali formation and this contact is transitional and
conformable. The lower contact is with Nammal formation and it is also conformable.

Fossils and Age: Various fossils found in this formation are Foraminifera, Mollusks and
Echinoids. Due to the presence of these fossils, the age assigned to this formation is Early
Eocene. The last member of Cherat group is missing in the Nammal gorge. So the Sakessar
formation is the last formation that we have seen in the Nammal gorge.

Fig 15

References: (Books)

Stratigraphy of Pakistan 2009 SM Ibrahim Shah

Sedimentology and Stratigraphy