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Sardhai Formation
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Sardhai Fm base reconstruction

Sardhai Fm

Period: 
Permian

Age Interval: 
Early Permian


Province: 
Pakistan Indus Basin

Type Locality and Naming

Nilawahan Gr – uppermost formation. Holotype section: Sardhai Gorge, Eastern Salt Range. Hypo: Saiyiduwali section, Khisor Range. Author: E.R.Gee, 1964 (as in Shah, 1977).


Lithology and Thickness

Sandy claystone. The formation is composed of bluish and greenish- grey clay with some minor sand and siltstone beds. The clay predominantly displays lavender color and contains some copper minerals including chalcopyrite.

Reference section: The formation changes facies from predominantly lavender clays in Salt Range to black shale and brownish argillaceous limestone in Khisor Range.

Thickness: 42-65 m. Its thickness in type section is 42 m, increases to 65 m in Western Salt Range but again reduces to 50 m in Khisor Range.


Lithology Pattern: 
Sandy claystone


Relationships and Distribution

Lower contact

Conformably underlain by Warcha Sandstone Fm (transitional).

Upper contact

Disconformably overlain by Amb Fm

Regional extent

The formation has an areal distribution similar to Warcha Sandstone Fm


GeoJSON

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Fossils

In Saiyiduwali section, Husain (1967) have recognized bryozoans and brachiopods e.g. Anastomopora sp., Fenestella sp., Athyris sp., Spirifer sp.


Age 

Early Permian.

Age Span: 

    Beginning stage: 
Artinskian

    Fraction up in beginning stage: 
0.0

    Beginning date (Ma): 
290.51

    Ending stage: 
Artinskian

    Fraction up in the ending stage: 
0.5

    Ending date (Ma):  
286.91

Depositional setting

Mainly terrestrial, partly lagoonal, with marine incursions, which become more frequent towards Western Salt Range.


Depositional pattern:  


Additional Information


Compiler:  

Nusrat K. Siddiqui