Eocene nannofossils and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Kuldana Formation in Yadgar area, Muzaffarabad, northern Pakistan

Abstract

The Early Eocene Kuldana Formation (KF) consists of variegated color shales, mudstone, and sandstone with limestone interbeds/lenses in the Yadgar area, Muzaffarabad, of Sub-Himalayan foreland basin. We report, for the first time, 20 nannofossil species of 9 genera, discovered from carbonate units of KF. Based on this calcareous nannofossil assemblage, an Early Eocene Ypresian age (NP10) is determined. The presence of Coccolithus, Fasciculithus, Rhomboaster, Tribrachiatus and Sphenolithus indicates dominantly warm water and oligotrophic conditions during deposition of the carbonate units, while the presence of Zeugrhabdotus and Neococcolithes suggests minor cool-water, eutrophic to mesotrophic conditions. Five microfacies were identified based on the field and petrographic investigations of the study section, namely, Nummulitic wacke-packstone microfacies (KMF-1), Assilina wacke-packstone microfacies (KMF-2), Molluscan microfacies (KMF-3), Lime mudstone microfacies (KMF-4), and Ostracode wackestone microfacies (KMF-5), suggesting that the deposition occurred in inner to middle shelf, shallow marine environment.