Geological Field report of surjan anticline (Thanobullah khan),

Rojh Jabal (Kalu Kuhar) Near Dada bhoy Cement, Jamshoro

District Sindh
CONTENT

 Introduction

 History

 Location & Accessibility

 General Geology & Geomorphology

 Tectonic History

 Topography

 Stratigraphy

 Observation on field

 Conclusion

 References
INTRODUCTION
Thana Bula Khan is a major town in Kohistan and a tehsil of Jamshoro district. Thana Bula Khan,
which is believed to have been founded by Bula Khan Numerio, has much to offer in terms of
history, culture and archaeology. Thana Bula Khan has sandy plains and a barren rocky terrain to
traverse. Small hills and Nains (perennial rivers) add beauty to the landscape of Thana Bula Khan.

HISTORY
The Hindu and Muslim tribes, namely, the Khaskhelis, the Pallaris, the Barijas, the Chhuttas, the
Rinds, the Gabols, the Brihmanis, the Shoras, and various lineages of the Burfats notably the
Hamalanis, the Loharanis, the Baparanis, the Musas, the Kanaras, the Dudhars, the Shanas, Aqilanis,
and the Lalanis live in Thana Bula Khan tehsil. Of these the Burfats are quite prominent who ruled
the area for many centuries and left their imprints in the form of the monuments in various villages
and towns of Thana Bula Khan

LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY

The area of study lies 20 km southeast of Thano Bula Khan near the television boaster and
at the eastern flank of Surjan Anticline in the Khorwari Nala named after a local Khor tree
and is about 58km southwest of Hyderabad and 118 km northeast of Karachi. The area of
research could be easily approached by the main road leading to Thano Bula Khan from
Super Highway. Then four wheel drive vehicles can lead to the section in all favorable
weathers. The ideal season for carrying out the geological work in the vicinity of Thano Bula
Khan is recommended from November to March. Geologically the area of investigation lies in
Survey of Pakistan, Toposheet No: 35 O/15, between Latitude 25° 19’ 08’’ to 25° 21’ 39’’N and
Longitude 67° 51’ 30’’ to 67° 56’ 56’’ E.

GENERAL GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY

The studied area represents the surface geological exposures ranging in age from Eocene to
Recent. The major structural control of the area is in the form of asymmetrical Surjan
Anticline. Meanwhile, towards the Thano Bula Khan this anticlinal structure is followed by
the syncline and the town of Thano Bula Khan is a synclinal valley. The geomorphology
provides a structure for describing and explaining the pattern and process described as a
result of closed association between vegetation types and geomorphology.
The area in particular and Kirthar National Park (KNP) in general exhibit a picture of basin-
range, desert, dominated by alternating mountains and plains. In general the landscape is
dominated by erosion rather than deposition. It appears that much of the eroded material is
washed away by gushing rain waters from the steep slopes of the mountains. As a results
soils on plains are either poorly developed or absent from the great majority of the study
area.
TECTONIC HISTORY
In global tectonic perspective, Pakistan is situated at junction of three lithosphere plates, the
Indian plate, Arabian plate, and Eurasian plate (Kazmi and Jan, 1997). The Indus Basin is
situated on the northwestern corner of the Indian plate. The Indian plate after separating
from the African Plate during Jurassic-Early Cretaceous started drifting in the northeast
direction and collided with Eurasian plate in Paleocene - Early Eocene. The collision is
characterized by continent to continent collision, obduction and thrusting and is considered
the proto type AlpineHimalayan orogeny (Powell, 1979).
Pakistan comprises of two sedimentary basins, the Indus Basin and Balochistan Basin. These
basins, are separated by a major fracture zone (axial belt), collectively occupy an area of
about 8,28,000 sq. km (Shah, 1977). The Indus Basin is divided into large longitudinal oriented
parallel tectonic features, which are further subdivided by sub-longitudinal basement highs
and transverse uplift into smaller tectonic zones.

The main tectonic features of the Indus Basin are the plateform, and the fore-deep, which
comprises depressions i.e. an inner fold zone and the outer fold zone. The platform, known
as the Indian plateform, coincides with the present Indus plain and is subdivided into the
Punjab monocline, Sukkur rift zone and Sindh monocline. Lower Indus basin, includes the
Sukkur rift zone, Thar platform, Karachi trough, Kirthar fore deep, Kirthar fold belt and off
shore Indus.
During the Paleo-Pliocene times, Himalayan progeny (continental to continental collision
between Indian and Eurasian plates) gave rise to the tectonic pulses generating
compressional forces in northeastern direction, which folded the sedimentary layers and gave
rise to the ranges in Sindh, including the Surjan Range which is an asymmetrical, doubly
plunging anticline.

TOPOGRAPHY
These slopes run south to north and consist mostly of limestone, Mountain Escarpment:
Rocky slopes of the hills and mountain, consisting of mountain or other sedimentary rock
substrate, with little soil and often with loose stones of a sandy / clay substance, Dry Rocky
Streambed: Theses rocky streambeds are scattered throughout the area. Their soil is moist
and mostly stony, at 30%, their total vegetation cover is less than that of the sand
streambeds. Overall project area falls in a series of longitudinal mountains in the Kirthar
range consisting of an ascending series of ridges, MOL Jabal, semi populated and barren land.
Between the foothills of the mountains and stony plain areas there are plains with an
undulating topography. Overall surface consists of hard rocks.
STRATIGRAPHY
The area is mainly composed of detrital and non-detrital rocks varying in age from Early
Eocene to Pleistocene. The major constituent of the area is limestone, which represents the
non-detrital type of origin whereas detrital sediments belong to shale and sandstone. In the
reported area the formations dip steeply (40°– 45°) to eastern flank and dip gently (5°- 8°) to
western flank. The general trend of the strike throughout the area is in northeast direction.
 OBSERVATION
 Stratigraphy
 Laki formation.
 Tiyon formation.
 Kirthar formation.

LAKI FORMATION
Its age is EOCENE. Rocks of Laki formation comprise soft, chalky to nodular and compact
even –bedded limestone with some marl, calcareous shale, clay and sandstone. It contains
both pelagic and benthic forams. This formation is divided into four members but in the
field area we observed Meting limestone & Chat mamber.

 METING LIMESTONE
MEMBER
Mainly white creamy nodular
limestone in lower part inter-
bedded shale and limestone
with subordinate sandstone
in upper part.
Latitude: 25*18’ 11”
Longitude: 67* 54’ 3”

 CHAT MEMBER
Chalky limestone
interbedded with creamy
nodular fossiliferous hard
compacted limestone.
Latitude: 25*18’12”
Longitude: 67*54’5”
TIYON FORMATION
The Tiyon Formation is a thin, distinct rock unit
between the Laki Limestone and Kirthar which
was mapped as a separate unit and named as
Tiyon Formation. The Tiyon Formation is
exposed on the both flanks of the Surjan
anticline mostly exposed on the western flank
and has small exposure on the eastern flank.
The Tiyon Formation consists of shale,
limestone and clay. The shale is greenish grey,
yellowish brown and calcareous. The limestone
is nodular interbedded with few cm thick marl
and massive limestone which is hard and highly
fossiliferous. The Tiyon Formation has a
conformable contact with the underlying Laki Formation and unconformable contact with
overlying Nari Formation.
Latitude: 25* 18’ 7”
Longitude: 67* 54’ 3”

KIRTHAR FORMATION
It describes Eocene strata between his “RANIKOT GROUP” & “NARI” in Western Sindh. It is
predominately limestone with shale and marl. Limestone is white grey, cream colored or
chalky white and contain algal and coralline structure.
CONCLUSION
The general topography of the area is that of alternate valleys and hills with their long axes
in NS direction. The geology of area is composed of sedimentary formations of marine
origin. Lithology sand, clay, silt, gravel, chalk, limestone, conglomerates, sandstones and
shale are found. Structurally the area is complex one as synclines, anticlines and thrust
faulting is quite visible and beds exhibit steep dip and limbs of major structures are either
opposite inclined or show dipping towards each other. Fossils collected from study area
were identified and named as Assilina, Nummulites & some other microfossils. Some iron
concretions and chert is also found.

The contact between Nari and Tiyon formation is slightly debatable because both represent
different geological time period and proper field studies are required to infer whether the
unconformity is present in that region or if really the designated Nari formation outcrop is
the unconformable member of Tiyon Formation.

REFERENCES
Blanford, W. T. (1876) On the Geology of Sindh, India, Geol. Surv. Recs. V. (9), 8-22.

Blanford, W. T. (1878) On the Geology of Sindh, India Geol. Surv. Recs. V.(11), 161-173.

Blanford, W. T. (1879) The of Geology of Western Sindh. India Geol; Surv. Mem.V.(17), 1-196.

Cheema, M. R., S. M. Raza and H. Ahmed (1977) Cainozoic, In Shah, S. M. I. (ed) Stratigraphy of
Pakistan, Mem. Geol. Surv. Pak. Vol. (12), 56-98.

Hunting Survey Corporation, (1960) Reconnaissance Geology of Part of West Pakistan

Toronto, Canada, 1-150.

Iqbal, M. W. A. (1973) Bio-stratigraphy of the

Tiyon formation (Middle Eocene) of Sindh, Pakistan Geol: Surv; Recs., V. (22), Pp. 40

Kazmi, A. H. and Jan Qasim (2000) Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan, graphic publishers, Karachi,
Pakistan.