Cambrian Stratigraphy

Jehlum Group
After the district Jhelum
Includes the following formations
4. Baghanwalan Formation
3. Jutana Formation
2. Khussak Formation
1. Khewra Sandstone
 1. Khewra Sandstone
Wynne 1878, Purple sandstone series
Name was formalized by SCP as Khewra Sandstone

Type Locality
Khewra Gorge near Khewra Town, Salt Range
Lithology
Predominantly sandstone;
Purple to brown, yellowish brown
Fine grained sandstone, mostly thick bedded to massive
Lower most of formation is red flaggy shale
Sedimentary features like, ripple marks, mud cracks, ball
and pillow structures are common.
Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in upper Indus basin
The formation is sandstone predominantly in Khewra Gorge
In Khisor Range; the upper part of the formation grades upwards into
glauconitic sandstone;
Which marks the upper contact of “Khussak Formation”
Widely distributed in salt range through out
Thickness at
150m at type locality
200m western salt range
60m in Khisor Range
Fossils
Trace fossisl of “Trilobites”

Age
Early Cambrian due to Trace of Trilobites

Contact
Lower: conformable with Salt Range Formation
Upper: gradational (conformable) with Khussak Formation

Environment of Deposition
Deltaic

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Khussak Formation
Noetling 1894, Khussak Group
Waagan and Wynne 1895, Neobolus beds
Then SCP formalized the name Khussak Formation

Type Locality
Khussak Fort, eastren part of Salt Range

Lithology
Sandstone: greenish grey, glauconitic micaceous sandstone
Siltstone; greenish grey, interbedded with light grey dolomite and
some oolitic arenaceous dolomite
Thin gypsum layer present at the top having pink colour
Numerous layers intraformational conglomerate are also present
Thickness/Distribution
Upper Indus basin, Salt Range with best exposures in the eastern
part
Also distributed in Khisor Range; the lithology througout is the
same
The thickness;
At type locality is 70m
Khisor Range is 55m
Fossils
Brachiopods (Neobolus), Trilobites (Redlichia)

Age
Early-Middle Cambrian

Contact
Lower: conformable with Khussak Formation
Upper: conformable with Jutana Formation

Environment of Deposition
Marine to Deltaic (Complex)
--------------------------------------------------
 3. Jutana Formation
Fleming 1853, Magnesian Sandstone
Noetling 1894, Jutana Stage
SCP, Jutana Formation
Type Locality
Lies near Jutana village, eastern Salt Range

Lithology
Lower part:
Light green, hard, massive partly sandy dolomite
Upper part:
Light green to dirty white, massive dolomite, brecciated at places
Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in eastern salt range and dies out at the western salt
range
Further west at Khisor range it is distributed
Thickness at type locality 80m and varies at places, whereas thickness at
Khisor range is 50m

Fossils
Trilobites, Brachiopods, Gastropods

Age
Middle Cambrian
Contact
Lower: conformable with Khussak Formation
Upper: conformable with Baghanwalan Formation, at eastern salt
range but at Khisor range is conformable with Khisor Formation
(equivalent to the Baghanwalan Formation)

Environment of Deposition
Tidal Flats (Peritidal Environment)
Marine to Lagoonal
-----------------------------------------
4. Baghanwalan Formation

Holland 1926, Salt Pseudomorphs Beds

Pascoe 1959, Baghanwalan Stage
Then SCP formalized the name Baghanwanlan Formation
Type Locality/Section
Baghanwalan village, eastern salt range

Lithology
Red shale, clay and alternate beds of flaggy sandstone
Sandstone
Exhibits several colours including pink grey or blue green,
especially in the lower half of the formation
Sedimentary structures like, ripple marks, mud cracke are
common
Numerous Pseudomorphic casts of salt crystals is the
diagnostic feature of this formation
Thickness/Distribution
Well developed in eastern salt range and disappears as we move to west, but
reappears at different localities at central salt range
Thickness in subsurface at Karampur village, near Baghanwalan is 100-116m, at
Khewra Gorge by erosion reduces to 40m
Fossils
Unfossiliferous, some trace fossils present
Age
Middle to Late Cambrian; can be correlated with Khisor Formation at Khisor Rnage
Contact
Upper:disconformable with Tobra Formation at Salt Range,
Lower:conformable with Jutana Formation, at eastern salt range
Environment of Deposition
Casts of salt Pseudomorphs represent the lagoonal environment (Arid Condition)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salt Pseudomorphs
In Baghanwala Fm.
Ripple marks
In Baghanwala Fm.
Contact between Baghanwala and Tobra Fm.
 Nilawahan Group
Group coprises of the following formations
4. Sardai Formation
3. Warccha Formation
2. Dandot Formation
1. Tobra Formation

1. Tobra Formation
Talchir Boulder beds and Talchir Stage, Gee (in Pascoe 1959)

Type Locality
Near Tobra Village in eastern Salt Range
Lithology
Composed of conglomerate, siltstone, sandstone and
shale
The formation has been divided into three facies by
Teichert 1967 as;
A. Tillitic Facies
B. Fresh Water Facies
C. Complex Facies (Tillitic + Fresh Water)
A. Tillitic Facies
Eastern salt range
unit composed of coglomerate:
having matrix of clay and siltstone, calcareous at places
Clast: having boulders, pebbles mainly granite, quartzite,
magnetite, garnet, claystone and siltstone.

B. Fresh Water Facies

Central salt range
Alternation of siltstone and shale
pollen and spore flora and Bivalve fauna
Environment is lacustrine, due to less composed of clast
etc
C. Complex Facies
Western salt range
Divided into three units
i. Lower Part
Brownish green, massive unit consisting of unsorted clastic material
including clay, silt, sand and boulders

ii. Middle Part

Medium to coarse grained, thick bedded, dark to light, olive grey
sandstone containing conglomeritic beds

iii. Upper Part

Similar to lower one and consists of dark green, grey clay and
sandstone with pebbles and boulders
Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in salt range, having tillitic facies in eastern,
fresh water facies in central and complex facies in western
salt range
At Khisor Range, the lithology is same as western salt range
(Zalauch Nala)
Thickness; maximum recorded at western at Zalauch Nala:
113m, eastern salt range: 33m and central salt range: 0-25m
varies)

Fossils
Pollen and spores (Plants Fossils)
Age
Early Permain

Contact
Lower: disconformable with Baghanwalan Formation at Salt Range, but
disconformable with Khisor Formation in Khisor Range
Upper: conformable with Dandot Formation (gradational) in eastern salt
range, but in west and Khisor, formation is disconformable with
Warccha Formation

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Dandot Formation
Wynne 1878, Conularia Beds

Type Locality
Dandot Village, eastern Salt Range

Lithology
At the type locality;
Light grey, olive grey, yellowish sandstone with occasional thin pebbly
beds
Subordinate dark grey and greenish splintery shales
Thickness/Distribution
Well developed and exposed in eastern salt range, thins out west
ward
Not developed in western and Khisor Range
Maximum thickness at Makrach Valley 50m

Fossils
Brachiopods, bryozoa, ostracodes
Age
Early Permian to Middle Permian

Contact
Lower: conformable (gradational) with Tobra Formation
Upper: conformable with Warccha Sandstone

Environment of Deposition
Deltaic

------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. Warccha Sandstone
Gee 1945, Speckled Sandstone
Hussain 1967, Warccha Sandstone proposed by him

Lithology
Medium to coarse, cross bedded sandstone, conglomeratic at
places, interbeds of shales present
Sandstone;
red, purple shows lighter shades of pink
Sandsotne is arkosic
Pebble mostly of granite of pink colour and quartzite
The formation is locally spekeled
Economic importance; wester salt range contains carbonaceous shales with
impersistent coal seam,the only permian coal in pakistan
Production low
Quality is poor

Thickness/Distribution
Widely distributed in salt range and Khisor Range
Thickness range from 26 to 180m

Fossils
Root casts
Age
By law of Superposition, early Permian

Contact
Lower: conformable with Tobra Formation in Zalauch Nala
Upper: conformable (transitional) with Sardai Formation

Environment of Deposition
Fluvial (Flood Plain)

------------------------------------------------------------------
 4. Sardai Formation
Wynne 1878, Lavender Clays
Then SCP approves the Sardai Formation as name proposed by Gee

Type Locality/Section
As suggested by Gee Sardai Gorge in eastern Salt Range

Lithology
Purplish, reddish, bluish and greenish grey with minor amount of sand and
siltstone
The clay predominantly display lavender colour
Also contains some carbonaceous shale
Clay contains some copper minerals like chalcopyrite, minor amount of
Jarosite, chert and gypsum
The upper part is calcareous
Thickness/Distribution
The sardai formation changes facies form predominantly Lavender colour
clays in salt range, to black shale and brownish argillaceous limestone in
Khirsor Range
The formation is 50m in Khisor Range, 65m in W. Salt Range, at type locality
i.e., eastern salt range 42m
Fossils
Plants remains and fish scales have been reported
Limestone beds well developed at Khisor Range having brachiopods and
bryozoans

Age
Early to Middle Permian

Environment of Deposition
Fluvial dominated Delta (Fluvial to Marine; transitional environment)
-----------------------------------------------------