BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF PATALA FORMATION OF SALT RANGE AND HAZARA AREA, PAKISTAN

Patala Formation has been explored in different geological sections of the Salt Range and Hazara Area. These sections include Nammal Gorge section, Dhak Pass section, Ratuccha, and Dandot Village section in the Salt Range whereas Changla Gali and Nathia Gali sections in the Hazara Area. The purpose of exploring the formation from these sections was to affirm its age based on the biostratigraphic studies. For the detailed biostartigraphy, more than 50 samples were collected from different levels of the Patala Formation exposed in these sections for the identification of foraminifera in the study areas. Thin sections/ picking from lose samples of the selected rock samples were prepared in the laboratory and then studied under petrographic microscope. A variety of different planktonic and benthonic formaminifera were identified including Miscellanea miscella, Ranikothalia sindensis, Ranikothalia nutalli, Assilina granulosa Assilina spinosa, Assilina subspinosa, Operculina salsa, Operculina subsalsa, Operculina jiwani, Lockhartia haimei, Lockhartia conditi, D. ranikotensis, and Alveolinids. Based on the stratigraphic distribution of these species in the Patala Formation, a late Thanetian–early Eocene age is devised for the formation in both the Salt Range and the Hazara Area. However continental sediment deposition with presence of coal seams along open marine beds in the upper part of the Patala formation in Salt Range also reflects a facies control on the larger benthic for aminifers record.