Kashmir
Kashmir
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| Image : Google Earth |
Kashmir geological succession ranges from precambrian to mesozoic. It is present on the Greater Himalayas region.
Precambrian & Paleozoic
Salkhal group represents the Archeans of Kashmir. This group is made up of carbonaceous slate, phyllite, schist and flaggy quartzites. The rocks are highly deformed. Salkhala at some parts is overlain by Dogra slates which are of proterozoic age.
Cambrian rocks are consisted of clay and slates. These are fossiliferous beds containing fossils of brachiopods and trilobites. These are collectively called Hapatnagar group.
Silurian and Ordovician have well preserved fossils in shale and slates.
Muth quartzites are well marked for devonian age. These are mostly unfossiliferous.
Syringothyris limestone marks the lowest of carboniferous succession. Syringothyris is a brachiopod fossil, abundant in this limestone.
Fenestella shale beds are rich in polyzoa fossil Fenestella.
Agglomerate slates are of volcanic origin.
Nishatbagh beds are important as it contain terrestrial plant fossils.
Permian of the valley starts with beds of andesitic lava called Panjal traps.
Mamal beds contains gangamopteris plant fossils. These are of deltaic environment.
Overlying Zewan beds are of marine environment and important for marine fossils study. Chief fossils are brachiopods and corals.
Permian - Triassic boundary
Guryul Ravine section of Kashmir was considered for the GSSP (Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point) for PT boundary but Selong Xishan section of China was selected for it as boundary on Guryul Ravine was bit controversial.
Mesozoic
Only Triassic rocks are well developed in Kashmir area, others are in Spiti and Salt Range. The succession is of marine origin.
Lower Triassic rocks (Tindra formation)
This group is important for the study of cephalopods. In fact, there are biozones on the basis on cephalopd fossils as given below
Middle Triassic rocks (Khreuh formation)
This formation have abundant Ceratites.
Upper Triassic rocks (Wuyan formation)
Very thick succession of limestone and dolomite with the fossils of brachiopods, pelecypods and corals.
Overlying Zewan beds are of marine environment and important for marine fossils study. Chief fossils are brachiopods and corals.
Permian - Triassic boundary
Guryul Ravine section of Kashmir was considered for the GSSP (Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point) for PT boundary but Selong Xishan section of China was selected for it as boundary on Guryul Ravine was bit controversial.
Mesozoic
Only Triassic rocks are well developed in Kashmir area, others are in Spiti and Salt Range. The succession is of marine origin.
Lower Triassic rocks (Tindra formation)
This group is important for the study of cephalopods. In fact, there are biozones on the basis on cephalopd fossils as given below
Middle Triassic rocks (Khreuh formation)
This formation have abundant Ceratites.
Upper Triassic rocks (Wuyan formation)
Very thick succession of limestone and dolomite with the fossils of brachiopods, pelecypods and corals.
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