Zaluch Group

Name introduced by Tiechert 1966.

Zaluch Group derived from Zaluch Nala, western part of Salt

Range.

Zaluch Group contains the following late permian

formations:
3. Chhidru Formation
2. Wargal Limestone
1. Amb Formation
 1. Amb Formation
Waagen 1891 called it as “Amb Sandstone
beds”.
Tiechert 1966 called it as “Amb Formation”.
The term was formalized by the Stratigraphic
Committee of Pakistan.

Type Locality/Section
Named derived from the village of “Amb” in
central Salt Range, also designated as type
section for this formation.
Lithology
Lithology: (sandstone+limestone+shale)
Sandstone: found in lower portion of formation, brownish
grey, medium grained, calcareous, medium to thick bedded.
Limestone: sandy, brownish grey, medium bedded
Shale: upper portion and is dark grey.

Thickness/Distribution
In Khisor Range, the lower part of formation contains dark
colour shales with thin bands of limestone, Hussain 1967,
named it as Saiyiduwali member, a transition between
Sardai-Amb Formations.
Thickness:
Saiyiduwali member: 33m
Over all, at W. Salt Range: 80m
at Khisor Range: 47m
Fossils
Highly fossiliferous, brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves, echinoderms, etc.
Important one Fusilinids
Sandstone: Fusilinids
Limestone: Productus
Shales: Glossopteris (Plant Fossils).

Age
Due to index fossils of Fusilinids, age is assigned as Late Permian.

Contact
Lower: conformable (Transitional) with Sardai Formation
Upper: conformable with Wargal Limestone.

Environment of Deposition
Shelfal (Marine)
 2. Wargal Limestone
Noetling 1901 called it as a part of “Wargal Group”.
Waagen 1876 called it as middle productus.
Tiecher 1966, proposed the name “Wargal Limestone” as approved
by Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan.

Type Locality/Section
Type locality lies near village “Wargal” central Salt Range.
Type section given by Tiecher 1966 as “Zalauch Nala”, western Salt
Range.
Lithology
Lithology: (limestone+dolomite+sandstone)
Limestone and dolomite, light-medium grey, brownish grey and
olive grey in colour.
Limestone at some places sandy, having chert nodules at upper
part.
Dolomite is brecciatted and massive at places.
Sandstone is greyish orange, fine grained.

Thickness/Distribution
In Khisor and Marwat Ranges the lithology is same as the Salt
Range.
Thickness: Khisor/Marwat Ranges: 174m
Salt Range: 180m
Fossils
Abundant fossils; bryozoans, brachiopods, bivavles, gastropods, trilobites
and crinoids, conodonts also pollen and spores.

Age
Late Permian

Contact
Lower: conformable with Amb Formation
Upper: Transitional with Chhiddru Formation

Environment of Deposition
Shallow Marine (Shelfal)
 3. Chhidru Formation
Waagen 1879, “Productus Limestone”
Waagen 1891, “Chhidru Beds”
Noetling 1901, “Chhidru Group”
Dunbar 1933, introduces the name “Chhidru Formation”.

Type Locality
Chhidru Nala,western Salt Range.

Lithology
Basal Part contains:
Shale: Pale yellowish, grey to medium dark grey in colour, contains phosphatic nodules.
Overlies calcareous sandstone with few sandy limestone.
Upper Part contains:
White sandstone with ripple marks, medium to fine grained with sub-ordinate dark shales.
Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in Salt Range and Khisor Range.
Thickness at Chhidru Nala is 64m.

Fossils
Highly fossiliferous, brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves and Ammonoids
etc.

Age
Late Permian

Contact
Lower: conformable with Wargal Limestone
Upper: Unconformable, Paraconformity, marking the P-T boundary with
Mianwali Formation.

Environment of Deposition
Shallow Marine
 Musakhel Group
Shah 1980 introduced the term.
Type locality, Nammal Nala (lat. 320 40’ 00’’ N and long. 710
48’ 00’’ E) 4km east of Musakhel.
Group contains the following Triassic Formations:
3. Kingriali Formation
2. Tredian Formation
1. Mianwali Formation
----------------
 1. Mianwali Formation
Waagen 1879, 1895; “Ceratite beds”
Gee (in Pascoe 1959) “Mianwali series”
The Kummel 1966, “Mianwali Formation”

Type Locality/Section
Nammal Gorge at lat. 320 40’ 00’’ N and long. 710 48’ 00’’ E, western Salt
Range,
Tapan Wahan near Paniala in the Khisor Range, D.I. Khan district is designated
as the principle reference section.

Lithology
Includs the following members;
A. Kathwai Member
B. Mittiwali Member
C. Narmia Member
A. Kathwai Member
 Lower Part: dolomite, the dolomite is finely crystalline and includes fossil
fragements (mainly of ammonoids and echinoderms) and quartz grains
 Upper part: limestone, grey to brown and glauconitic.
 Thickness of member is 124.7m in Type Section.

B. Mittiwali Member
 Lower part: Limestone, The limestone is grey, fine grained and nonglauconitic
with abundant ammonoids
 Upper Part: shale, greenish to greenish grey with some sandstone+limestone.
Having fossils.
 Thickness of member is 98m in type section.

C. Narmia Member
 Lower part: Limestone, dark grey to brown
 Upper part: shale, grey to black with sandstone+limestone inter beds. The top
most bed is dolomite.
 Thickness of member is 23m in type section.
Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in Khisor and Salt Ranges. It is thick at the west and
thins out at the east of the Salt Range.
It is exposed in Zalauch Nala in Salt Range and Tapan Wahan in Khisor
Range.
Thicness at Zalauch Nala: 121m and Tapan Wahan Section: 135-
187m.

Fossils
Ammonoids, brachiopods, conodonts, fish etc.
Age
Early Triassic

Contact
Lower: unconformable, Paraconfomity marking the P-T boundary with
Chhidru Formation
Upper: conformable with Tredian Formation.

Environment of Deposition
Marine (Open-Deltaic)
 2. Tredian Formation
Gee 1945, “Kingriali Sandstone”
Gee (in Kummel 1966) called “Tredian Formation”

Type Locality/Section
Zalauch Nala, W. Salt Range.

Lithology
Fatmi 1977, divides the formation into two members
A. Landa Member
B. Khatkiara Member
A. Landa Member
Lithology: (Sandstone+Shale)
Sandstone: micaceous, varies in colour from pinkish to reddish grey to greenish
grey, thick bedded having ripple marks & Slump structures.
Thickness at Zalauch Nala: 19m and Tapan Wahan Section 29m.

B. Khatkiara Member
Sandstone, massive, thick bedded, white sandstone.
Thickness at Zalauch Nala: 38m and Tapan Wahan Section: 59m.

Thickness/Distribution
Well distributed in Salt Range and Khisor Range.
Thickness at Zalauch Nala: 76m
Fossils
Palynomorphs (Pollen and Spores).

Age
Middle Triassic

Contact
Lower: conformable with Mianwali Formation
Upper: Kingriali Formation

Environment of Deposition
Fluvial (Non-Marine).
 3. Kingriali Formation
Gee 1945, Kingriali dolomite.
Later on Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan approves it to be Kingriali
Formation.

Type Locality/Section
After Kingriali peak in Khisor Range.
Good Section, that is reference section, are Zalauch Nala, W. Salt Range
Landa Nala, Surghar Range
Tapan Wahan, Khisor Range

Lithology
Anwar et al 1992, divided the formation into two members
A. Doya Member
B. Vanjari Member
A. Doya Member
After village Doya (lat. 320 27’ 16’’ N & long. 710 09’ 59’’ E).

Lithology
Sandstone: Light grey to greenish white, pinkish, on weathering brownish grey,
fine to medium grained, thick bedded, soft, micaceous, dolomitic friable and
cross bedded.
Dolomite: brownish grey to brown, coarse grained, hard, sandy, jointed and
fractured.
Limesotne: grey to brownish grey, medium bedded, dolomitic, sandy and hard.
Shale: black, carbonaceous and micaceous.
Thickness at Trakai Nala: 34m, Narmia Nala: 30m and Landa Nala: 40m.
B. Vanjari Member
After village Vanjari, Surghar Range.

Lithology
Mainly dolomite
Lower Part: brown, purple to purplish grey, coarse grained massive,
hard, highly brecciated, fractured.
Upper Part: whitish to light grey, micritic, thin bedded, medium
hard, fractured and marly.
Thickness at Trakai Nala: 58m, Narmia Nala: 78m and Landa Nala:
64m.
Thickness/Distribution
Formation widely distributed in Salt Range, Trans Indus Ranges, Part of
Kala Chitta, Kohat and SE Hazara.

Thickness at Trakai Nala: 92m, Narmia Nala: 108m and Landa Nala:
104m.

Fossils
Doya Member: Spirifera, Crinoids, echinoids, gastropods and other
benthic fossils.
Vanjari Member: Poorly preserved but brachiopods, bivalves are
reported.
Age
Late Triassic

Contact
Lower: conformable with Tredian Formation in Salt Ranges,
Trans Indus Ranges & with Chak Jabbi Limestone in Kala
Chitta Ranges.
Upper: Disconformable with Datta Formation.

Environment of Deposition
Tidal Flats