Murree Formation

Calkins et al. (1975): in the axial zone of the Hazara–Kashmir syntaxis the Murree Formation is a thick (≈5,000 to >8,000 ft) red siltstone–shale–mudstone sequence with subordinate cross-bedded graywacke and calcareous mud-pebble conglomerate. Its angular, chert- and feldspar-rich sand indicates short transport from the rising Himalaya to the north (not the Indian Peninsula). Generally early–middle Miocene (leaf impressions; Pilgrim 1910), but the gradational contact with the underlying Eocene Kala Chitta Group implies its base may be Oligocene; it is overlain conformably by the Siwaliks. Earlier names: 'Mari Group' (Wynne 1874), 'Murree Beds' (Lydekker 1876), 'Murree Series' (Pilgrim 1910).

Calkins, J.A., Offield, T.W., Abdullah, S.K.M. & Ali, S.T. (1975)

Yasin et al. (2017), Sudhnoti–Poonch (Azad Kashmir, eastern limb of the Hazara–Kashmir Syntaxis): the Murree Formation is a fluvial succession of sandstone, mudstone, claystone and conglomerate — medium- to coarse-grained, thick-bedded dark-grey to weathered-black sandstone carrying wood fossils (Maidan area), with thinly-bedded calcareous shale, red-to-maroon clays, and conglomerate clasts of quartzite plus shale rip-ups; locally it has a faulted contact with the overlying Nagri Formation.

Yasin, M., Ali, S.M.K., Munir, M.H. & Ishfaque, M. (2017)

Reviewer-confirmed coordinate (33.417255, 72.569802) for the Murree Formation type section north of Dhok Maiki, Attock District; refines Shah's (2009) published type section (33 deg 25' N, 72 deg 35' E).

Shah, S.M.I. (2009)

Craig et al. (2018): the Murree Formation is a heavily oxidised red-and-green fluvial molasse (continental to tidal-flat, with pervasive ~20 m fining-upward cycles of meandering tidal channels and pedogenic/gypsiferous horizons), sourced from the Himalayan thrust stack. Craig et al. explicitly state it was 'wrongly interpreted as a flysch deposit by Wandrey et al. (2004)' - it is fluvial, not flysch.

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)

Craig et al. (2018): the Lower Miocene Murree Formation is the youngest oil-producing horizon in the Potwar Basin, producing at Khaur (with the Sakesar) - Khaur being the first commercial Potwar oil discovery (1914, Attock Oil Co., a 65 m well on a thrust-faulted anticline, on production from 1922). Interbedded Murree shales, with the overlying Kamlial and Siwalik strata, provided the thick (6-7 km in the Hazara-Kashmir Syntaxis) molasse overburden that matured the Palaeocene source shales and act as seals/detachment horizons.

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)

Munthe et al. (1979), Daud Khel (Trans-Indus, Mianwali District): a thin (~80 m) 'Murree(?)' unit - about 30% well-indurated conglomerate (small pebbles of reworked Tertiary sediment, with reworked Eocene foraminifera) and 70% dusky-red gypsum-veined claystone - rests with marked angular unconformity on subaerially weathered Eocene and is overlain (a possible paraconformity) by the Kamlial Formation. Tentatively lower Murree, but differing markedly in thickness and lithology from typical Potwar Murree.

Munthe, J., Hussain, S.T., Lukacs, J.R., West, R.M. & Shah, S.M.I. (1979)