Source provenance

Ahmad, S., Ali, F., Rehman, N. & Gul, J. (2000). Lithostratigraphy of the Kurram Group along the Mirali-Miran Shah Road, North Waziristan Agency, NWFP, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin, University of Peshawar, 33, 79-86.

Cited by 6 units (6 published) · 18 field-level citations · 21 revision notes.

Full text reviewed (reviewer-supplied). The DEFINING paper for the former 'Kurram Group' of NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak): establishes six units, Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous - Spalga Formation (Triassic; thrust below the Jurassic), Sarobi and Isha formations (Jurassic limestone/shale), and (disconformably above) Chashmai Kharsai, Marsi Khel and Zerghar formations (Cretaceous). Broadly correlative with the Samana-Kohat Mesozoic (N) and Balochistan (S). RESOLVES the geographic flag: these units are North Waziristan, NOT Zhob (the indplex 'zhob-muslim-bagh' province tag was wrong). Sarobi village type locality lat 32 deg 54' 20" N, long 70 deg 06' 35" E.

This page is the reverse of each unit's per-field citations — it shows exactly what this reference supports, making the dataset's “no source, no fact” rule browsable both ways.

Units citing this source

• Mesozoic Chashmai Kharsai Formation Cretaceous
  Lower contact (overlies)Upper contact (underlies)ThicknessThickness (m)Type localityCoordinates
  • Age: CONFIRMED by Ahmad et al. (2000): the Chashmai Kharsai Formation is the basal Cretaceous unit of the North Waziristan succession, disconformable on the Jurassic Isha Formation and overlain by the Marsi Khel and Zerghar formations.
  • Lower contact (overlies): Ahmad et al. (2000): the Chashmai Kharsai Formation disconformably overlies the Jurassic Isha Formation and grades conformably up into the Marsikhel Formation. (introducedBy attribution corrected 'Ahmed' -> 'Ahmad' per the paper's authorship.)
  • Thickness: Ahmad et al. (2000): the Chashmai Kharsai Formation is a belemnite-rich shale (dark green-grey, weathering rusty brown with a purple tint; alternating harder/softer shale with phosphatic nodules and glauconitic sandy layers) 30 m thick at its type locality (Chashmai Kharsai, 32°58′36″N, 70°05′30″E, along the Mirali–Miran Shah road), disconformably overlying the Isha Formation.
• Mesozoic Isha Formation Jurassic
  Lower contact (overlies)Upper contact (underlies)Introduced by
  • Age: CONFIRMED by Ahmad et al. (2000): the Isha Formation is the upper Jurassic limestone/shale unit (Isha Check Post area), disconformably overlain by the Cretaceous (Chashmai Kharsai, Marsi Khel, Zerghar). North Waziristan, not Zhob.
  • provinces: Province corrected from zhob-muslim-bagh to sulaiman: Ahmad et al. (2000) place this unit in NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), part of the western Axial/Sulaiman belt - not the Zhob-Muslimbagh area. (A dedicated Waziristan province could be added later.)
  • Upper contact (underlies): Ahmad et al. (2000): the Isha Formation (limestone) grades up from the Sarobi Formation (gradational lower contact) and is DISCONFORMABLY overlain by the Cretaceous Chashmai Kharsai Formation. Name introduced herein after the Isha check post.
• Mesozoic Marsikhel Formation Cretaceous
  Lower contact (overlies)Coordinates
  • Age: CONFIRMED by Ahmad et al. (2000): the Marsi Khel Formation is a Cretaceous unit of the North Waziristan succession (type at Marsi Khel village), with Chashmai Kharsai and Zerghar. North Waziristan, not Zhob.
  • provinces: Province corrected from zhob-muslim-bagh to sulaiman: Ahmad et al. (2000) place this unit in NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), part of the western Axial/Sulaiman belt - not the Zhob-Muslimbagh area. (A dedicated Waziristan province could be added later.)
  • Lower contact (overlies): Ahmad et al. (2000): the Marsikhel Formation (belemnitic shale and limestone) conformably overlies the Chashmai Kharsai Formation and is conformably overlain by the Zerghar Formation. Name after Marsi Khel village. (introducedBy corrected 'Ahmed' -> 'Ahmad'.)
  • Coordinates: Ahmad et al. (2000): type locality near Marsi Khel village, North Waziristan — 33°02'30"N, 70°10'30"E (= 33.0417, 70.1750).
• Mesozoic Sarobi Formation Jurassic
  Lower contact (overlies)Introduced byCoordinates
  • Coordinates: PROPOSED type coordinate (author to confirm): the Sarobi Formation (alternating limestone and shale) is exposed N of Sarobi village on the Isha-Razmak road, ~35 km SE of Miran Shah; Sarobi village lat 32 deg 54' 20" N, long 70 deg 06' 35" E = 32.9056, 70.1097 (Ahmad et al. 2000). Jurassic; corroborates the age. North Waziristan, not Zhob.
  • provinces: Province corrected from zhob-muslim-bagh to sulaiman: Ahmad et al. (2000) place this unit in NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), part of the western Axial/Sulaiman belt - not the Zhob-Muslimbagh area. (A dedicated Waziristan province could be added later.)
  • Lower contact (overlies): Ahmad et al. (2000): the Sarobi Formation (alternating limestone and shale) rests on the Spalga Formation across a thrust/faulted lower contact and grades upward into the Isha Formation.
  • Coordinates: Ahmad et al. (2000): type section north of Sarobi village along the Isha-Razmak road, ~35 km SE of Miran Shah — 32°54'20"N, 70°06'35"E (= 32.9056, 70.1097).
• Mesozoic Spalga Formation Triassic
  Upper contact (underlies)Introduced byCoordinates
  • Age: CONFIRMED by Ahmad et al. (2000, full text): the Spalga Formation is the oldest (Triassic) unit of the North Waziristan succession (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), in thrust contact below the Jurassic. Corroborates the Late Triassic age. NOTE: this is North Waziristan, NOT Zhob - province corrected.
  • provinces: Province corrected from zhob-muslim-bagh to sulaiman: Ahmad et al. (2000) place this unit in NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), part of the western Axial/Sulaiman belt - not the Zhob-Muslimbagh area. (A dedicated Waziristan province could be added later.)
  • Upper contact (underlies): Ahmad et al. (2000): the Triassic Spalga Formation (oldest unit; lower contact not exposed) is overlain across a THRUST/faulted contact by the Jurassic Sarobi Formation — the Triassic–Jurassic boundary is a thrust throughout the mapped area. Name introduced herein after Spalga village.
  • Coordinates: Ahmad et al. (2000): type locality near Spalga village, 17 km SE of Miran Shah — 32°55'45"N, 70°07'45"E (= 32.9292, 70.1292).
• Mesozoic Zerghar Formation Cretaceous
  Introduced by
  • Age: CONFIRMED by Ahmad et al. (2000): the Zerghar Formation is one of the three Cretaceous units (with Chashmai Kharsai and Marsi Khel) disconformably overlying the Jurassic Isha Formation, NE of Miran Shah. Corroborates the Middle-Late Cretaceous age. North Waziristan, not Zhob.
  • provinces: Province corrected from zhob-muslim-bagh to sulaiman: Ahmad et al. (2000) place this unit in NORTH WAZIRISTAN (Mirali-Miran Shah-Razmak), part of the western Axial/Sulaiman belt - not the Zhob-Muslimbagh area. (A dedicated Waziristan province could be added later.)
  • Introduced by: Ahmad et al. (2000): the Zerghar Formation (limestone; youngest unit, upper contact not exposed) conformably overlies the Marsikhel Formation. Name introduced herein after Zerghar mountain, ~5-6 km NE of Miran Shah.