U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Pakistan PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1599
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PLATE 1

1 EXPLANATION

Limestone, crystalline
Limestone, muddy

Middle

| : part
= Lower
part

Conglomerate

:'| Sandstone and siltstone

Mudrock (shale, mudstone, and claystone) and carbonaceous shale
Coal

Sharp or gradational contact separating lithologic units

~~~ _ Relief on a sharp contact separating lithologic units

4 Upper

Bart Some thin limestone beds are shown slightly thicker for better visibility at the scale drafted. Likewise, some sandstone

—— and coal beds too thin to be visible at this scale have been included with the mudrock
Middle 7
5} part

Top of Principal Reference Sections
section

Shin Ghwazha Mine

The Shin Ghwazha coal mine is located in the northern third of the Sor Range coal field, about 20 km east of Quetta.
Our measured stratigraphic section, located near the mine, comprises 478 m of the Ghazij, and includes the
uppermost strata of the lower part of the formation and all of the middle and upper parts of the formation. We
placed the contact between the lower and middle parts at the base of the stratigraphically highest significant sandstone
unit and the contact between the middle and upper parts at the base of the conglomerate unit. Two coal beds are
present in this area, but in the line of our section, these horizons are represented by carbonaceous shale. Of special
interest is the presence of the conglomerate unit in the base of the upper part, and an apparent interfingering of the
contact between the Ghazij and Kirthar Formations. Details of this section are contained in Johnson and Khan.
(1994a).

Abraham Marri Mine

4 This stratigraphic section, containing 536 m of the Ghazij, is located near the Abraham Marri mine. The mine is 2
km northwest of the village of Pir Ismail Ziarat. which is about 45 km southeast of Quetta. Although all three parts of
the Ghazij are present in our line of section, only the middle part is complete. We place the contact between the

4 lower and middle parts of the formation at the base of the stratigraphically highest significant sandstone unit, and the
contact betwween the middle and upper parts of the formation at the base of the stratigraphically lowest unit of
reddish-weathering mudrock. The depositional facies that characterize the middle part of the Ghazij are particularly
well developed in this area of Balochistan. For more details of this section consult Johnson and Khan (1994b).

Gishtari Nala

Our Gishtari Nala stratigraphic section contains 370 m of the Ghazij, and is located just north of a broad dry river bed

about 2.9 km west-southwest of the town of Mach, which lies about 48 km southeast of Quetta. Only the middle and

Base of 0 upper parts of the Ghazij are present along our line of section, and neither of these are complete. We place the

section Base of contact between the middle and upper parts of the formation at the base of the stratigraphically lowest unit of massive
section claystone. The details of this section are contained in Warwick and others (1994).

A. Shin Ghwazha Mine B. Abraham Marri Mine Moghal Mine

The Moghal mine is located 2.9 km south of Mach. Our stratigraphic section, located near the mine, contains 448 m
of the Ghazij. Only portions of the middle and upper parts of the formation are present, and we place the contact
between these two parts at the base of the stratigraphically lowest unit of the reddish-weathering mudrock. The
middle part of the formation in'this area contains numerous thin beds of muddy limestone, and relatively few
sandstone units. The crystalline limestone of the Kirthar Formation shown at the top of the section probably
represents a slide block of this formation. Details of this section are found in Johnson, Warwick, Khan, and Kazim
(1994).

Sarawan River

This stratigraphic section, containing 664 m of the Ghazij, was measured just south of the east-flowing Sarawan

River, several kilometers west of the village of Johan. Johan lies about 93 km south of Quetta, and in this area of

Balochistan the middle part of the Ghazij is poorly developed and is generally not recognized. Because of this, the

formation is usually divided into a main body and an upper part. We placed the contact between the main body and
Top of the upper part at the base of the lowest sequence of reddish-weathering mudrock. For a more detailed treatment of
section this section consult Johnson, Warwick, Khan, and others (1994).

Upper
part

Middle
part

J Top of
section

METERS
10 4

| METERS
a 10 4

Middle
part

Kirthar Fm

Ghazij Fm

q

Lower
part

0 ToT

References

Johnson, E.A., and Khan, I.H., 1994a, Principal reference section for part of the Eocene Ghazij Formation, Shin
Ghwazha mine area, Sor Range coal field, Balochistan, Pakistan: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field
4 |_| Top of Studies Map MF-2263-B.

2'o\ TEETH) 4 : section 1994b, Principal reference sections for part of the Eocene Ghazij Formation, Abraham Marri mine area, Pir
Bes an Ismail Ziarat coal field, Balochistan, Pakistan: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2263-A.
= x paeeen ] Upper Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Khan, |.H., and Kazim, M.A., 1994, Principal reference section of the Eocene Ghazij
| t_ | part Formation, Moghal mine area, Mach coal field, Balochistan, Pakistan: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field

{I Fo Middle 1 Studies Map MF-2263-D.
. Sk part Johnson, E.A., Warwick, P.D., Khan, I.H., Rana, A.N., and Kazim, M.A., 1994, Principal reference section of part of
4 ; = the Eocene Ghazij Formation, Sarawan River, Johan coal field, Balochistan, Pakistan: U.S. Geological Survey
4 Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2263-E.
Warwick, P.D., Johnson, E.A., Khan, I.H., and Kazim, M.A., 1994, Principal reference section for part of the Eocene
Ghazij Formation, Gishtari Nala area, Mach coal field, Balochistan, Pakistan: U.S. Geological Survey

a Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2263-C.

Upper Quaternary v
4 part conglomerate ia

Middle l Ghazij Fm
part |

eg 4
veg —
Is —

Kirthar Fm

siltst
vig
fg
mg 4

coal +

fest/cong —

i — = Ghazij Fm

mudrk/earb sh —

) | 7 . Enlarged version of the scaled horizontal line that appears at the base of the first column of each stratigraphic section.
Ses Grain size generally increases to the right forming a crude erosional profile. Mudrock (mudrk) includes shale,
| a Il mM mudstone, and claystone. Sandstone is very fine grained (vfg), fine grained (fg), medium grained (mg), coarse grained
I | a (cg), and very coarse grained (veg). Other abbreviations are “carb sh” for carbonaceous shale, “clayst” for claystone,
ba ] . METERS
10 4 ne ‘i J

“siltst” for siltstone, “cong” for conglomerate, “fest” for ironstone, and “Is” for limestone. Some of the lithologies
shown on the horizontal scale might not be present in the section because they are not found in the area. Those
parts of columns that lack data represent covered intervals

ial

[|

| | eetTHTETET) i |
i

Top of
section

Base of
section

0 0 ES SaEEal
Base of
section

C. Gishtari Nala D. Moghal Mine

INDEX MAP SHOWING LOCATION
OF STUDY AREA

ban
Marri
Mine

30° N.

Upper 5 L
| Part POE Y

7 Main
body

4 4 Kirthar Fm

7] | Ghazij Fm

Balochistan

METERS 7
10 7

Pakistan

 Ghazij Formation
(Eocene)

32 KILOMETERS
—S= i

Geology modified from Hunting Survey Corporation Limited, 1960

0 fo |
Base of

section

E. Sarawan River

INTERIOR—GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, RESTON, VIRGINIA—1999

PRINCIPAL REFERENCE SECTIONS OF THE LOWER EOCENE GHAZIJ FORMATION, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN
B
Edward A. Johnson Orel. ~Z USGS

11999 science for a changing world