The Precambrian in Pakistan
> 539 Ma
Everything before 539 million years ago — nearly nine-tenths of Earth’s history, from the planet’s origin to the first complex life. Here it groups the ancient basement and cover rocks.
In Pakistan
In Pakistan the Precambrian is the ancient foundation: the rock salt and gypsum of the Salt Range Formation (latest Precambrian “Eocambrian”) mined at Khewra, the crystalline basement and Kirana Group volcanics of the Punjab, the Nagar Parkar granites of the Indian shield in southern Sindh, and the old gneisses caught up in the northern mountains.
This reference records 42 units assigned to the Precambrian across 3 basins, most commonly metamorphic rocks, conglomerate, evaporite.
At a glance
- 42
- units
- 3
- basins
- 11
- provinces
- 20
- georeferenced
- 2
- with fossils
- 34
- type localities
- 3,500 m
- max thickness
- 37
- sources
Rock types
- metamorphic rocks (23)
- conglomerate (7)
- evaporite (4)
- limestone (4)
- igneous rocks (2)
Based on the primary lithology recorded for each unit; some units span more than one rock type.
Fossils recorded
- Stromatolites (rare)
- Stromatolites
- Algal mats
Units of the Precambrian
- Asianwala Formation Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Baltit Group Karakoram-Hindukush Basin
- Banna Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Besham Group
- Buland Hill Formation Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Chak 102 Conglomerate Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Chak 112 Conglomerates Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Chiniot Granite
- Gandaf Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Hachi Volcanic Group Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Hadda Quartzite Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Hazara Formation
- Iskere Gneiss
- Kirana Group
- Kishar Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Kundalshahi Groupreview Northern Indus Suture
- Langrial Limestonereview Northern Indus Suture
- Machh Super Group Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Mahandri Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Mangla Gneiss
- Manglaur Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Manki Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Miranjani Limestone Northern Indus Suture
- Misgar Slate
- Nagarparkar Igneous Complex
- Nanga Parbat Gneiss
- Naril Groupreview Northern Indus Suture
- Petaro-Hyderabad Ridge
- Rajawal Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Salkhala Formation
- Salt Range Formation Ediacaran
- Sargodha Ridge Basement
- Shahkot Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Sharaban Groupreview Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Shekhai Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Shingus Gneiss
- Sobrah Formationreview Northern Indus Suture
- Taguwali Formation Indo-Pakistan Shield
- Tanaki Boulder Bed
- Tanawal Formation
- Uch Khattak Formation Northern Indus Suture
- Wad Sayyidan Formation Indo-Pakistan Shield
Provinces — Azad Kashmir · Hazara Basin · Indo-Pakistan Shield · Karakoram · Khyber–Nowshera Belt · Kohat Basin · Nanga Parbat Massif · Potwar Basin · Salt Range · Sindh Province · Swat–Malakand.