Dungan Formation

Attested in Shah (2009), Geological Survey of Pakistan Memoir 22 - the Stratigraphic Committee's compiled lexicon. Adds the definitional GSP/SCP lexicon citation.

Shah, S.M.I. (2009)

Afzal, Williams & Aldridge (2009) recognise a broad Dungan Formation (Kazmi 1995) that includes the Khadro, Bara and Lakhra formations of Shah (1977). Its upper limestone-shale part yields larger benthonic foraminifera of late Thanetian-early Ilerdian age, nannofossil Zones NP4/NP7/NP9 and planktonic Zones P3-P7 (Kothe et al. 1988; Afzal 1996; Jones 1997; Warraich et al. 2000), giving a Middle Paleocene to Early Eocene range. Extends the curated Late Paleocene age into the Early Eocene.

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

Jones (1997), Northern Sulaiman Ranges: a Late Paleocene to Early Eocene age is indicated by planktonic foraminifera Globorotalia (Morozovella) ex gr. angulata/conicotruncata (Zones P3–P5 of Blow 1979) and G. (M.) ex gr. subbotinae (P6–P8).

Jones, R.W. (1997)

Hanif et al. (2012), Rakhi Nala (Lower Indus Basin): four dinoflagellate-cyst zones (Pak-DV to Pak-DVII of Köthe et al. 1988) span the P/E interval of the upper Dungan Formation; the Paleocene/Eocene boundary lies within Zone Pak-DVI, defined by the onset of the carbon-isotope excursion (CIE magnitude −1.7‰) of the PETM — recorded here for the first time in the Indus Basin. The Apectodinium acme (Zone Pak-DV) correlates globally with the PETM Apectodinium acme Zone.

Hanif, M., Hart, M.B., Grimes, S.T. & Leng, M.J. (2012)

Ahmad et al. (2020): the Dungan Formation is Late Paleocene to Early Eocene (Latif 1964), spanning a second-order sea-level rise from the Middle Danian to the Ypresian — a Transgressive Systems Tract (Danian–Selandian) and a Regressive Systems Tract (Thanetian–Early Ypresian) of third-order cyclicity. Age extended from the previously recorded 'Late Paleocene' into the Early Eocene (consistent with Kazmi & Abbasi 2008, who note a local Early-Eocene extension).

Ahmad, S., Wadood, B., Khan, S., Ullah, A., Mustafa, G., Hanif, M. & Ullah, H. (2020)

Alam et al. (2023), Kohlu section (Mazar Drik Nappe, Sulaiman Fold-Thrust Belt): age-diagnostic larger benthic foraminifera - Nummulites fraasi, N. minervensis, Alveolina vredenburgi, A. ellipsoidalis, A. pasticillata, A. pisiformis, A. minervensis, A. aramaea aramaea, Discocyclina ranikotensis and Orbitolites biplanus - date the Dungan Formation here as Early Eocene (Ypresian), shallow-benthic zones SBZ 5 to SBZ 7 (Serra-Kiel et al. 1998). A precise SBZ biozonation consistent with the curated Late Paleocene-Early Eocene range.

Alam, S.U., Mohibullah, M., Kasi, A.K., Abdullah, A., Hussain, T.M. & Thebo, G.M. (2023)

Hemphill & Kidwai (1973, USGS PP 716-B): the Paleocene Dunghan Formation (type near Harnai, Williams 1959) is ~625 ft of grey hard finely crystalline thick-bedded limestone (algae, foraminifera, corals, gastropods) becoming sandy/argillaceous downward, over basal dark micaceous silty claystone; its lower part may be Late Cretaceous. It wedges out ~2 mi south of the Zao River and is absent in Waziristan and the Shaikh Budin-Khisor area.

Hemphill, W.R. & Kidwai, A.H. (1973)

Ahmad et al. (2020): the Dungan Formation is 460 m thick in the Kirthar Fold-and-Thrust Belt study area (within the ~30–610 m regional range already recorded).

Ahmad, S., Wadood, B., Khan, S., Ullah, A., Mustafa, G., Hanif, M. & Ullah, H. (2020)

Khan & Clyde (2013): the Dungan Group/Formation is overlain by the synorogenic Ghazij Formation along a diachronous contact, its members locally correlating with parts of the Ghazij.

Khan, I.H. & Clyde, W.C. (2013)

Ahmad et al. (2020): the fauna comprises abundant larger benthic foraminifera (Alveolina, Nummulites, Discocyclina, Assilina, Ranikothalia, Miscellanea, Lockhartia), planktonic foraminifera (Morozovella — the basis for the Paleocene–Eocene dating), red (coralline) algae and bryozoans. Surfaced from the generic 'Larger foraminifera, Corals' into the specific taxa.

Ahmad, S., Wadood, B., Khan, S., Ullah, A., Mustafa, G., Hanif, M. & Ullah, H. (2020)

Jones (1997): micropalaeontology of the Dungan (Dunghan) bioclastic limestone points to a warm, shallow carbonate platform within the euphotic zone (no deeper than ~5–15 m; codiacean, dasycladacean and rhodophyte algae). At Rakhi Nala, however, Hanif et al. (2012) infer an uppermost-bathyal setting (≥200 m; Velasco-type benthonic fauna, planktonic p-ratio >90%) with a water column well connected to the wider Tethys, becoming suboxic near the CIE onset — recording strong lateral bathymetric variation within the formation.

Hanif, M., Hart, M.B., Grimes, S.T. & Leng, M.J. (2012)

Alam et al. (2023): at the previously unstudied Kohlu section the Dungan Formation is thick-to-medium-bedded limestone yielding six microfacies rich in LBF with algae, echinoids, gastropods, bivalves and rare corals, indicating deposition on an inner-to-mid carbonate ramp (gradual facies change, in-situ fauna, mud-prevalent microfacies, no organic build-ups, slumps or calciturbidites). Corroborates the curated shallow-marine carbonate-ramp environment with a new locality.

Alam, S.U., Mohibullah, M., Kasi, A.K., Abdullah, A., Hussain, T.M. & Thebo, G.M. (2023)

Ahmad et al. (2020): reservoir characterisation of the Dungan Formation carbonates — marine and burial cementation reduce primary porosity while dissolution and fracturing enhance porosity/permeability; plug-porosity/permeability data indicate an overall POOR-to-MODERATE reservoir potential.

Ahmad, S., Wadood, B., Khan, S., Ullah, A., Mustafa, G., Hanif, M. & Ullah, H. (2020)

Ahmad et al. (2020), microfacies study in the Kirthar Fold-and-Thrust Belt (Khuzdar/Sibi/Kalat): the Paleocene–Early Eocene Dungan Formation carbonates (thick-bedded grey argillaceous limestone with larger + planktonic foraminifera, red algae and bryozoans) record four microfacies — Discocyclina–Nummulites–red-algal packstone (shallow lagoon/inner ramp), Miliolid–Alveolina–red-algal packstone (restricted lagoon), planktonic-benthic foraminiferal packstone, and planktonic foraminiferal wackestone-packstone (open-marine/outer ramp) — i.e. a carbonate-ramp system spanning restricted lagoon to open marine.

Ahmad, S., Wadood, B., Khan, S., Ullah, A., Mustafa, G., Hanif, M. & Ullah, H. (2020)