Sedimentology of Marl and Marly Limestone Sequence of Upper Cretaceous Kawagarh Formation from Northern Kalachitta Range, Attock Hazara Fold and Thrust Belt, Pakistan

Saif Ur Rehman,Khalid Mehmood,Mahboob Ahmed,Faisal Rehman,Naveed Ahsan,Tariq Mahmood,Muhammad Fahad Ullah

doi:10.4236/ojg.2019.91001

Abstract

Upper Cretaceous Kawagarh Formation is well exposed in the Attock Hazara Fold and Thrust Belt (AHFTB) and shows significant lateral and vertical variations in lithology. The present work deals with the sedimentological studies of marl and marly limestone sequence of Kawagarh Formation exposed at the Bagh Neelab, Ghariala north and Sojhanda villages in Northern Kalachitta Range. Detailed petrographic studies of marly limestone and hard marl substrate show that planktons and oysters are the main skeletal constituents of studied samples and clay and detrital quartz mainly composed the non skeletal fraction. X-Ray diffraction analyses of selected marl samples confirm the petrographic data. On the basis of skeletal and non skeletal content, two microfacies—marl microfacies and Planktonic microfacies are constructed. The faunal content, their paleoecology and detrital content of microfacies suggest that marl and marly limestone sequence of Kawagarh Formation was deposited over the mid and outer ramp settings.

Highlights

IntroductionThey frequently occur with limestone of diverse depositional environments
Upper Cretaceous Kawagarh Formation is well exposed in the Attock Hazara Fold and Thrust Belt (AHFTB) and shows significant lateral and vertical variations in lithology
Upper Cretaceous Kawagarh Formation is well exposed throughout the Attock Hazara Fold and Thrust Belt (AHFTB) including the Hazara Basin and Kalachitta Range (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

They frequently occur with limestone of diverse depositional environments. Upper Cretaceous Kawagarh Formation is well exposed throughout the Attock Hazara Fold and Thrust Belt (AHFTB) including the Hazara Basin and Kalachitta Range (Figure 1). It is very diverse in lithology and shows considerable lateral and vertical variations in different parts the AHFTB [6] [8] [9]. In Hazara Basin, the eastern part of AHFTB, Kawagarh Formation is represented by a sequence of limestone with subordinate dolomite and marl [6] [7] [10] [11] [12]. The southern sections of Kawagarh Formation are well studied in terms of Sedimentology and paleontology but no significant sedimentological record is available on the marl and marly limestone sequence of northern sections

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion