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Microfacies analysis and depositional environments of the Upper Cretaceous Fort Munro Formation in the Rakhi Nala Section, Sulaiman range, Pakistan

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Abstract

The Fort Munro Formation is 200-m-thick mixed carbonate–siliciclastic succession of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age exposed at the Rakhi Nala Section, Sulaiman Range, Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan. The Fort Munro Formation is representing thin- to thick-bedded limestone with interbedded marls, shale and sandstone. Detailed microfacies analysis revealed the recognition of 15 microfacies types (11 carbonate and 4 sandstone). These facies were deposited on both inner and middle ramp platform. The inner ramp sediments are more widespread than the corresponding middle ramp including open-marine, skeletal shoals, semi-restricted, carbonate sand shoals and banks and lagoon depositional environments. The uppermost part of the Fort Munro Formation has received sufficient amount of siliciclasts, thereby producing a sandstone texture. These siliciclasts indicate the tectonic uplift, which thereby increases the source area rejuvenation. Therefore, a mixed carbonate–siliciclastic, moderately storm-dominated homoclinal ramp depositional environment is suggested for the Fort Munro Formation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the financial aid provided by the project PSF-TUBITAK/Earth/KP-UOP (08). The authors greatly acknowledged the laboratory facilities provided by the National Centre of Excellence in Geology (NCEG), University of Peshawar. The authors are also thankful to Mr. Abdullah Khan (MS Scholar at NCEG, University of Peshawar) and Mr. Asad Khan (Ph.D. Scholar at NCEG, University of Peshawar) for help during the field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Hanif, Nowrad Ali & Maqsood Ur Rehman

  2. Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Nowrad Ali

  3. Hubei Key Laboratory of Marine Geological Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Maqsood Ur Rehman

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  1. Muhammad Rizwan
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Correspondence to Muhammad Rizwan.

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Rizwan, M., Hanif, M., Ali, N. et al. Microfacies analysis and depositional environments of the Upper Cretaceous Fort Munro Formation in the Rakhi Nala Section, Sulaiman range, Pakistan. Carbonates Evaporites 35, 104 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-020-00639-9

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