A Periglacial Palaeoenvionment in the Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian Tobra Formation of the Salt Range, Pakistan
- Author(s)
- Irfan U. Jan, Shahid Iqbal, Sarah J. Davies, Jan A. Zalasiewicz, Michael H. Stephenson, Michael Wagreich, Muhammad Haneef, Muhammad Hanif, Sajjad Ahmad
- Abstract
The Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian (Upper Pennsylvanian–Asselian) Tobra Formation is exposed in the Salt and Trans Indus ranges of Pakistan. The formation exhibits an alluvial plain (alluvial fan–piedmont alluvial plain) fades association in the Salt Range and Khisor Range. In addition, a stream flow facies association is restricted to the eastern Salt Range. The alluvial plain facies association is comprised of clast-supported massive conglomerate (Gmc), diamictite (Dm) facies, and massive sandstone (Sm) lithofacies whereas the stream flow-dominated alluvial plain facies association includes fine-grained sandstone and siltstone (Fss), fining upwards pebbly sandstone (Sf), and massive mudstone (Fm) lithofacies. The lack of glacial signatures (particularly glacial grooves and striations) in the deposits in the Tobra Formation, which are, in contrast, present in their time-equivalent and palaeogeographically nearby strata of the Arabian peninsula, e.g. the Al Khlata Formation of Oman and Unayzah B member of the Saudi Arabia, suggests a pro- to periglacial, i.e. glaciofluvial depositional setting for the Tobra Formation. The sedimentology of the Tobra Formation attests that the Salt Range, Pakistan, occupied a palaeogeographic position just beyond the maximum glacial extent during Upper Pennsylvanian–Asselian time.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Geology
- External organisation(s)
- University of Peshawar , Quaid-i-Azam University, University of Leicester, British Geological Survey, COMSATS University Islamabad
- Journal
- Acta Geologica Sinica
- Volume
- 91
- Pages
- 1063-1078
- No. of pages
- 16
- ISSN
- 1000-9515
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.13324
- Publication date
- 06-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105121 Sedimentology, 105112 Historical geology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/5cee6ebe-ec9e-4eaa-9b54-7dab5f99501b