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Stratigraphic Sequence of Hazara area
Age Formation Description
Early Miocene
Middle Eocene
Early to Middle Eocene
Early Eocene
Late Paleocene
Middle Paleocene
Early Paleocene
Murree Formation
Kuldana Formation
Chorgali Formation
Margala Hill Formation
Patala Formation
Lockhart Formation
Hangu Formation
Grey and reddish sandstone and shales
Maroon to varicolored shales and marl
Thinly bedded limestone and marl
Nodular foraminifera grey limestone
Greenish grey/Khaki shales with limestone
Nodular foraminifera grey limestone
Sandstone, claystone, Laterite
DISCONFORMITY
Late Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
Late Jurassic to Early
Cretaceous
Kawagarh Formation
Lumshiwal Formation
Chichali Formation
Fine grained light grey limestone
Grey to brownish coarse sandstone
Dark grey shales with sandstone beds
DISCONFORMITY
Middle Jurassic
Early Jurassic
Samanasuk Formation
Datta Formation
Limestone with dolomite patches &oolites
Sandstone, quartzite, micro conglomerates
DISCONFORMITY
Early Cambrian
Cambrian
Hazira Formation
Abbottabad Formation
Calcareous siltstone and shales/quartzites
Dolomite with sandstone, shale in lower part
and boulder beds at base
UNCONFORMITY
Late Precambrian
Late Precambrian
Hazara Formation
Tanawal Formation
Slates, pelites sandstones and quartzites with a
horizon of gypsum & two limestone beds
Quartzite and quartz mica schists with a 500 Ma
intruded granite
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List of Observed Formations in Hazara Area
The following formations were observed in Hazara range.
Hazara formation
Tanawal formation
Samanasuk formation
chichali formation
Lumshiwal formation
Kawagarh formation
Hangu limestone
Lockhart Limestone
Patala formation
Margala hill formation
Murree formation
Hazara Formation
Lithology:
The Formation consists of slate, phyllite and shale with minor occurrences of limestone and
graphite layers. Slate and phyllite are green to dark green and black in color.Limestone beds
with maximum thickness of 150 m and calcareous phyllite gypsum from 30 to 120m thick are
found in southern most hazara. Marks and Ali (1961) regarded the formation as a deep water
turbidity current deposit. Calkins (1969) contended that the beds limestone, graphite and
gypsum are unlikely to occur in a turbidity sequence and regarded the formation as a shallow
water argillaceous sequence.Slates of greenish colour with interbeds of sandstone and have
balls of clay on upper part.Ball and pillow structure
Samanasuk Formation
Synonymy
Baroch Lime Stone by Gee(1945),Kioto Lime Stone by Cotter(1933),Kioto Lime Stone by
Middlemiss(1896),Sikhar Lime Stone by Latief(1970)
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Type locality:
Samanasuk peak in samanarange .
Lithology
In Hazara area the limestone of the Formation is thin to thick-bedded and includes some
dolomitic, ferruginous, sandy and oolitic beds. The thickness of the Formation is 366 m in
Bagnotar section of Hazara area. The lower contact is transitional with Shinawari Formation and
upper contact is disconformable with Chichali formation.Light grayish to bluish gray limestone
with yellow patches of dolomitization(S:33 P:45), oolitic limestone and sandy limestone.
Contacts
Formation has lower conformable contact with Datta Formation while theUpper contact is
unconformable with Hangu formation
Fossils
Gastropods, Brachiopods, Bivalves are reported
Age
The fauna indicates that age in all areas is essentially Middle Jurassic.
Chichali Formation
Synonymy
Middle miss (1896) called the rocks of Chichali formation as ''Spiti Shale'' in hazara.
Type locality
Chichali pass
Lithology
Blackish gray splintery shales have rare interbeds of ferrigeneoussandstone.Have khaki
weathered color. Belemnities are also observed.In southern hazara the formation is divided
into three folds with almost type section. In the lower part it consists of glauconitic sandstone
with nodular silty, calcareous, phosphatic base. In the middle part it consists of glauconitic,
sandy shale and dark pyritic unfossiliferous shale in the upper part. In northern hazara the
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formation shows a facies change consisting of dark silty shale with some ferruginous calcareous
and phosphatic nodules and is similar to ''Spiti Shale'' of Himalayas.
Contacts
Lower contact with Samanasuk Formation is disconformable while the Upper contact is
gradational with Lumshiwal Formation
Fossils
Ammonites and belemnites of late Jurassic age have been recorded from Chichali formation in
hazara area.
Age
The above mentioned fauna indicates Pre Kathonian possibly Late Oxfordian age of this
Formation.
Lumshiwal Formation
Synonymy
The name Giumal sandstone" was given to the rocks of Lumshiwal formation in Hazara area by
Middlemiss (1896). Cotter (1933) used the name "Main sandstone series" for the same rocks.
Type locality
Wuchkhwar section in Nizampur area and Jhamiri village on Haripurjabrian Road in Hazara are
the reference sections of Lumshiwal formation.
Lithology
In Hazara area the formation is mostly of marine origin consisting of quartose, ferruginous
sandstone and dark rusty brown sandy limestone. In southern hazara its thickness is 50m in
northern hazara its thickness varies from 20m to 10m. The lower contact with Chichali
formation is transitional and upper contact with Kawagarh formation of upper cretaceous is
disconformable.Lower part have have glauconitic shales and middle part have glauconitic
sandstone and upper part have ferragineous sandstone and oyster bearing sandstone.
Contacts
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The lower contact with Chichali formation is transitionaupper contact with Kawagarh
formation of upper cretaceous is disconformable.
Fossils
The uppermost part of formation in northern Hazara has abundant fossil casts of brachiopods,
gastropods and Ammonites.
Age
The age of the formation in Hazara area is lower cretaceous.
Kawagarh Formation
Synonymy
Sublithographic Limestone by Davies(1930).Darsamand Limestone by Fatmi and
Khan(1966).Durban Limestone bu S.N. Khan and W Ahmad(1968).Chanali Limestone by
Latief(1970)
Lithology
Regional lithology
It is composed of micritic limestone have equi-beds. Limestone is very fine grained and have
light grey to light dark grey in color
Field lithology
The Nara sandstone member in the upper part is grey, brownish grey to dark grey, thick
bedded, calcareous sandstone with some limestone interbeds. In northern hazara Nara
member was not developed and Kawagarh formation consists of grey, olive grey, light grey
sublithlogic limestone with subordinate marl and Calcareous shale.
Contacts
Upper disconformable with Hangu Formation.
Fossils
Latif (1970) has reported following foraminifers from southern Hazara:
Globotruncanalapparenti, G.fornicata, G. concavatacarinata.etc.
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Age
On the basis of the fossils, the age of the Formation is considered to be Upper Cretaceous.
Associated structure
Equal bedding,Conchoidalfracture;and Calcite vein.
Hangu Formation
Synonymy
“HanguShales” and “Hangu Sandstone” by Davies (1930) and “Hangu Formation” by
Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan (1973)
Type locality
The type section of the formation is near fort Lockhart
Lithology
The formation consists of variegated sandstone, shale, carbonaceous shale and some nodular,
argillaceous limestone in the salt range. A 2 m to 3 m thick bed of ferruginous, pisolitic
Sandstone occurs at the base of unit Lithology can be divided into two parts. Lower part
composed of iron bearing clay, concentration of iron is very low. Upper part consists of
quartose sandstone. Sandstone is fine grained and whitish in color.
Contacts
lower disconformable with Kawagarh Formation. Upper conformable contact with Lockhart
Limestone
Fossils
Foraminifers with some Corals, gastropods and bivalves have been reported by lqbal
(1972).Haque (1956) recorded abundant Epistominelladubia from Nammal gorge.
Age
On thee basis of fossils Formation has assigned Early Paleocene age.
Lockhart Limestone
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InHazara area the limestone is dark grey and black in colour and contain intercalations of marl
and shale. The limestone is generally bituminous and gives off fetish odour on fresh surface. It
is 90 to 242 m in Hazara. Nummulities also found in Lockhart limestone in Hazara.
Patala Formation
Synonymy
Patala Shales” by Davies (1937), “TarkhobiShales” by Eames (1952), “Hill Limestone” by Wynne
(1873). The present name was given by Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan.
Type locality:
The section exposed in Patala nala is designated as type section in Salt range
Lithology
It is mainly composed of splintery shale with interbedded limestone having weathered colour
yellow to rusty brown.
Contacts
Lower conformable with Lockhart Formation. upper conformable with margala hill limestone.
Fossils
Larger Foraminifers including Lockarciatipprie, Lockarciacondety, Ascilinadandotica,
Ascilinadelcina.Miscilina masala and uppercilina are reported.
Age
The Formation on the basis of above mentioned Foraminifers is assigned Upper Paleocene age.
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Observed Structures and Formations
Slates of Hazara Formation
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Plumohos Structure
Assymetrical Fold in Hazara Slate
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HearyboneSructure in Hazara Slate
Quartz viens in Hazara Slate
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Slum Structure(Polished Surface)
Contact b/w Chichali Shale and Samana Suk Fm.
