Chorgali Formation

Afzal, Williams & Aldridge (2009) assign the Chorgali Formation to shallow benthonic Zones SBZ11-SBZ12 (late Ypresian to earliest Lutetian) on age-diagnostic larger benthonic foraminifera from the Kala Chitta, Hazara and eastern Salt ranges (Latif 1970, 1976; Shah 1977; Sameeni & Butt 2004). Consistent with the curated late Early to Middle Eocene age.

Afzal, J., Williams, M. & Aldridge, R.J. (2009)

Type-locality coordinate set from reviewer-supplied GPS (33.439322 N, 72.683902 E), Chorgali Pass, Khair-e-Murat Range.

OpenStreetMap contributors and GEOnet Names Server (public geographic gazetteers), used to geolocate named GSP type localities to approximate decimal coordinates.

Rehman et al. (2024): in the Southern Hazara Basin the Chorgali Formation has a well-preserved lower contact with the Early Eocene Margalla Hill Limestone and an upper gradational (intercalated) contact with the Middle Eocene Kuldana Formation — a regional relationship distinct from the Salt Range, where the Chorgali overlies the Sakesar Limestone. Lithologically it is a predominantly marly and argillaceous limestone with marls and calcareous shale.

Rehman, S.U., Ahmed, M., Munawar, M.J., Rehman, F., Anjum, M.N. & Ullah, M.F. (2024)

Rehman et al. (2024): the Chorgali Formation at these Hazara sections yields abundant Eocene larger benthic foraminifera — Nummulites, Assilina and Lockhartia — together with miliolids and ostracods (and their broken shells), consistent with a shallow carbonate-ramp fauna.

Rehman, S.U., Ahmed, M., Munawar, M.J., Rehman, F., Anjum, M.N. & Ullah, M.F. (2024)

Ghazi, Ali, Hanif, Sharif & Arif (2010), four Salt Range sections (Karuli, Badshah Pur, Tatral, Khajula): the Early Eocene Chorgali Formation yields a larger-benthic-foraminiferal assemblage - Nummulites mamillatus, N. atacicus, Assilina spinosa, A. subspinosa, A. laminosa, A. granulosa, A. placentula, Lockhartia tipperi, L. conditi and Alveolina sp.

Ghazi, S., Ali, A., Hanif, T., Sharif, S. & Arif, S.J. (2010)

Rehman et al. (2024), Gharaga and Bhattian sections (Southern Hazara Basin): five microfacies of the Chorgali Formation — Nummulites–Lockhartia wackestone-to-packstone (MF-1), Nummulites–Assilina wackestone-to-packstone (MF-2), Ostracod–Miliolid packstone (MF-3), marls (MF-4) and calcareous shale (MF-5) — indicate deposition on a carbonate mid-ramp, with some accumulation in a partially restricted inner-ramp lagoon and in the proximal outer ramp, during the Late Paleocene–Early Eocene transgressive cycles of the Neo-Tethys.

Rehman, S.U., Ahmed, M., Munawar, M.J., Rehman, F., Anjum, M.N. & Ullah, M.F. (2024)

Munir, Baig & Mirza (2005-06): the Chorgali Formation forms the top of the Paleocene-Early Eocene shallow-marine carbonate succession of Azad Kashmir (above the Lockhart Limestone, Patala Formation and Margala Hill Limestone), carrying larger benthic foraminifera.

Munir, M.-H., Baig, M.S

Munir et al. (2006): Early Eocene thin-bedded flaggy argillaceous limestone, marl and greenish-grey shale with pressure-dissolution (fitted) fabrics; Assilina granulosa/spinosa, Nummulites atacicus, Orbitolites complanatus, Dictyoconus indicus and Coskinolina balsillei indicate a restricted shallow shelf with tidal flats and coastal shoals.

Munir, M.H., Baig, M.S. & Mirza, K. (2006)

Ghazi et al. (2010): the shallow-water larger-benthic-foram assemblage in the thin- to well-bedded limestone, shale and marl of the Chorgali Formation indicates an inner-shelf environment; it is the uppermost of the three Early Eocene Salt Range carbonate units (Nammal Formation, Sakesar Limestone, Chorgali Formation).

Ghazi, S., Ali, A., Hanif, T., Sharif, S. & Arif, S.J. (2010)

Craig et al. (2018): the Lower Eocene Chorgali Formation (dolomitic limestones and calcareous claystones above the Sakesar) is named among the Eocene-age reservoirs producing oil and gas in the Potwar Basin (Khan et al. 1986).

Craig, J., Hakhoo, N., Bhat, G.M., Hafiz, M., Khan, M.R., Misra, R., Pandita, S.K., Raina, B.K., Thurow, J., Thusu, B., Ahmed, W. & Khullar, S. (2018)