PREVIOUS WORK

LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1

Previous Investigations in Salt Range:

In the past Salt Ranghas attracted many geologists from all over the world. They

studied Cambrian stratigraphy, the Permian-Triassic boundary, and lower Tertiary

foraminiferal biostratigraphy in the Salt Range. In the proceeding chapter we will briefly
discuss previous work on Salt Range in 19th, 20th and 21st century respectively.
3.2

Introduction
The name SaltRange was first time used by Stuart Elphisnton a British envoy to

the court of Kabul. He traveled from 1808-1815 across this province and noted the
mining of salt from the salt deposits of salt range. The recorded history of geological
research dates back to the middle of the 19 th century when the first geological survey
was undertaken by LaMessurier (1844) for antimony and lead in Baluchistan.

3.3

Work during 19th century

Jameson (1841) and Fleming (1853)
Earliest mentioned of the coal was prepared by Dr.Jameson in 1844; Dr. Fleming,

a physician in British army wrote a broad report on the geology of the area and created
a geological map when he became incharge of the Geological Survey of Salt Range,
Punjab in 1853.

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PREVIOUS WORK

Waagen and Wynne, A.B. (1873)

Wynne (1873) outlined Elphinstons observations and recorded the accounts of
forty other visitors of this area. A stratigraphic study, which described the most inclusive
geologic portrait of the SaltRange, was made by them. Some of the important visitors
were: Lieutenant A.Burnes, who momentarily described the geology along the banks of
IndusRiver and mentioned about hot springs, aluminum, galena and sulphur; he was
followed by an Iranian, Agha Abbas, who also refer to the attendance of salt in the
region. All of these early visitors wrote mostly about salt and few other minerals.
Wynne (1878)
According to Wynne (1878), Fleming not only gave a preface account of
stratigraphy but also made some set of fossils, which were examined by sir
R.I.Murchison, Thomas Davidson of England, Professor Koninck of Belgium and M. De
Verneuoul of France.
Waagen (1879) Neotling (1899)
More details appeared when Waagen (1879) produced a monograph on
Productus Limestone followed by a further monograph on Triassic Faunas in 1895.
Noetling (1899-1900) worked on the association between Permian and Triassic beds.
3.4

Work during 20th century

Gee (1948)
Gee (1948) described the mineral resources of the North western India and

recorded the occurrences of Siliceous Laterite in Jurassic sequence. He described

them as A possible source of Iron and Aluminum but declared that the deposits have
17

PREVIOUS WORK
so far proved too impure. Given the details of coal, Gee (1948) mention the occurrence
of the Jurassic coals in the WesternSaltRange and described the Paleocene coals of
Dandot and Makarwal areas. This was followed by the work of Khan (1949), Powell and
Duffryn (1948).
Danilchik (1960) and Shah (1961-1963)
The first systematic geologic study of coal fields, in region, was started in early
1960 by W.Danilchik and S.M.I.Shah in which regional mapping of SurgharRange and
detailed investigation of the Makarwal coal field was taken up. This work was extended
eastward by Geological Survey of Pakistan to cover the SaltRange coal fields.
Accordingly, Bhatti (1967, unpublished) studied the Permian coal fields of Western Salt
Range; Abbas (1968, unpublished) carried out study in Eastern Salt Range coal fields;
whereas investigations carried out in the Central Salt Range coal fields by the
S.M.I.Shah (1961-1963).
Fatmi (1966, 68 and 70)
N.Fatmi published his work in 1966 and 1968 on other neighbouring areas in
SaltRange. R.E.Grant published his paper on the Late Permian Trilobites from the
SaltRange. He wrote another paper on the Brachiopodes from Permian-Triassic
boundery beds and age of Chhidru Formation in 1970. B.R.Hussain published a paper
giving the new name, Saidwali member to the lower part of the Amb Formation of
Permian. In 1970 W.C.Sweet did work on the uppermost Permian and lower Triassic
contacts of SaltRange.
Kummel and Teichert (1970)
B. Kummel published paper on the study of Ammonoids from Kathwai member,
Mianwali Formation. In the same year, B.E.Balme wrote the paper on Permian and
Triassic Formations of Salt Range. Kummel and Teichert published another paper in
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PREVIOUS WORK
1970 in which they gave the measurement of Permo-Triassic sections and concluded on
the laboratory work about fossils. Paraconformity between Permian and Triassic is
equivalent to a gap as much as or more than a stratigraphic range.
Ashraf (1972)
In 1972, M.Ashraf, M.WaheedQureshi and F.A.Faruqi published a preliminary
report on economic geology of bauxite and laterite deposits of Kattha area, SaltRange.
Gardezi (1974)
In 1974, A.H.Gardazi and M.Ashraf published a preliminary report on gravity
structures in KatthaMasral area, SaltRange. As referred by Hill in his bulletin, it was
decided to do more detailed work to conform the idea of valley bulging in the SaltRange.
He described folding as sharp hinges anticlines (along valleys) and flat synclines (along
ridges).
Ghazanfar (1975)
In March 1975, a report on Khewra field trip to SaltRange was published by
MunirGhazanfar and his companions. In this report they described briefly physiography,
structure, geologic history and stratigraphy of SaltRange.
Tahirkhaili (1979)
Johnson, G.D.Johnson, N.M. and Tahirkheli, R.A.K. (1979), worked on Magnetic
Reversals, Stratigraphic and Sedimentary Tectonic history of upper Siwalik Group,
EasternSaltRange and Southwestern Kashmir. This shows anticlockwise movement of
basin during deposition of Siwaliks.

19

PREVIOUS WORK

Yeats (1984)
In 1984, Yeats worked on late Quaternary deformation of SaltRange. He worked
on the thrust tectonics and the role of Salt in the fold and thrust belt. He mentioned
some chronological events during formation of SaltRange.
Baker (1988)
Baker D.M. in 1988 published a paper in which he constructed balanced cross
section of SaltRange and Potwar Plateau of Pakistan. He used seismic data for
interpretation.
Lawerence (1988)
Burbank, M.S. and Lawerence, R.D. in 1988 worked on evidences for late
Precambrian to Early Cambrian orogeny in northwestern Himalaya. Burbank in 1989
gave the comments on the development of the Himalaya Frontal Thrust Zone, Salt
Rage, Pakistan.
Qayyum (1991)
A.Qayyum 1991, worked on the detailed structure of SaltRange and crustal
shortening in the SaltRange in different episodes.
Chaudhry (1992)
Chaudhary, M.N. Ghazanfar, M.Ramsay, G.Qayyum and Spencer (1992) present
a detailed synthesis on northwestern Himalayan tectonic subdivision. Tectonic elements

20

PREVIOUS WORK
i.e. sub, lower and higher Himalayas of northwestern Himalaya were the main
emphasis.
Burbank (1993)
Muldar, T.J. and Burbank in 1993 did work on the impact of uplift pattern of fluvial
deposition, an example of SaltRange, NW Himalayan Foreland, and Pakistan.
A brief summary of work in 20th century is:
i).

Pilgrim, G.E. (1910, 1911, 1913, 1926).

ii).

Pinfold, E.S. (1918, 1938).

iii).

Gee, E.R (1944, 1945, 1947), The age of the saline series of Punjab and
the Kohat, Pakistan.

iv).

Lehner, E. (1945), The age of saline series Pakistan.

v).

Gansser, A. (1964), Geology of Himalaya.

vi).

Kummel, B., Teichert, C. (1966), Relation between Permian and Triassic

Formations in the SaltRange and TransIndusRanges, Western Pakistan.

vii).

Balme, B.E. (1970), Palynology of Permian-Triassic strata of SaltRange

and Surghar range, Western Pakistan.

viii).

Kummel, B., Teichert, C. (1970) Stratigraphy and paleontology of

Permian-Triassic boundery beds, SaltRange and TransIndusRanges,
Western Pakistan.

ix).

Crawfold, A., R., (1974),The Salt Range, The Kashmir Syntaxis and
Pamir arc.

x).

Chappell, W.M. (1978), Mechanics of thin skin fold and thrust belt.

xi).

Gee, E. R. (1980), PakistanSaltRange series, Geological Maps.

1:50,000, 6 sheets.

xii).

Yeats, R. S., Khan, S.H.

and Akhter, M. (1984), Late Quaternary

deformation of Salt Range of Pakistan.

xiii).

Fatmi, A.M., Akhter, M., Alam, G.S. Hussain, I. (1984) Guide book of
Geology of Salt Range, Pakistan.

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PREVIOUS WORK
xiv).

Burbank, D.W. and Beek, R.A. (1999) Early Pliocene uplift of Salt Range,
Pakistan.

xv).

M. Ashraf (1969), Bauxite deposits of Salt Range, Pakistan.

xvi).

Mohammad Akhter (1972), Lithostratigraphic units of the Salt Range,

Pakistan.

xvii).

Gardezi, A.H. (1974), Study of Gravitational Structure of Central salt

Range, Pakistan.
a. Work on the stratigraphy, paleontology continued till early 1930s, when E.
R. Gee mapped the whole of the SaltRange at the scale of 1:50,000.

xviii).

Work on the economic minerals of SaltRange continues to be recorded

periodically over the years. Noteworthy among them are Asrarullah (1962),
Alam and Asrarullah (1973-1975), Khan (1971), Cheema (1974), Hassan
(1975) and Ashraf et. al., (1976).

3.5 Work during 21st century

A brief summary of work on Salt Range during21 stcentury is given as below:
Arif, F., Butt, F., and Ghafar (2002)

Mapping of Galliat area and environment of deposition, digenetic changes and

development of porosity in Earl Carbonate in Salt Range and Surghar range.
Ghazi, S. (2002)

Sedimentology of the Kamlial Formation from KhokharBala, Central Salt Range,

Pakistan.

22

PREVIOUS WORK

Ghazi, S. (2004)
Microfacies and foraminiferal assemblage of the lower Eocene
Nammal Formation, Nilawahan Gorge, Central Salt Range, Pakistan.
Shakeel, A. (2005)
Geology of Nilawahan area and Sedimentology of the Lower Permian Warcha
Sandstone.

Ahmed, N. and Haq I.U.(2006)

Lithostructural Mapping of part of the Central Salt Range with special emphasis on
Sedimentology and Petrography of Nagri Formation.
Khokhar, W.K.,Inayat, F. and Rehman, S.U.(2006)
Lithostructural Mapping of RakhKarangal-LehriShahnawaz Area of the Eastern Salt
Range.
Baitu, Deo, Atiq and Wahab(2006)

Lithostructural mapping of Uchali-Mardwalarea and microfacies of Nammalfornation,

SoanSakesar valley District Khushab.

23