ZAO DEFILE CAVES & SPRINGS

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Not only speleologically unexplored caves, some of them of considerable extent but also water issuing in the form of springs out of openings between the jointed masses of the limestone beds (note 1) had been known from the Zao defile in the group of hills of which the Takhi-i-Suleman is the culminating mass, nearly due west of Dera Ismail Khan … (GRIESBACH, C L 1884: 183). ETYMOLOGY: The Takht-i-Sulaiman (Salomon's throne), a shrine (ziarat) on the mountain of the Sulaiman range … known as the Kaisargarh or Kasi Ghar, but usually called by Europeans the … (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 11: 206) Takht-i-Sulaiman IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 11: 206) Takht-i-Suleman GRIESBACH, C L (1884: 175-190) Takht-i-Suliman GRIESBACH, C L (1884 plate 1 Geological sketch). SITUATION: About 90 km in a direct line west of Dera Ismail Khan (note 2). SITUATION 1884: That portion of the Suleman hills which I had the good fortune to visit including under this name the parallel ranges of the Takht (wit the Zao defile) and the Shinghar (with the Karzbina), is entirely made up, I believe, of the oldest rocks found in this part of the country. The greater mass of the range or ranges is composed of cretaceous rocks, but it is quite possible that the lowest bed … is of Jurassic age. … the Suleman range is formed by one or perhaps more great folds of the cretaceous series. When viewed from the east, i.e., the Indian side, all that seems clear is that the beds have a dip due east, passing under the tertiary beds of the outer hills. The short Zao defile, while exposing the rocks completely, affords little information as regards the structure of the range. The rocks through which the defile cuts are greatly jointed, but it seems clear that the dip which is at first east becomes steeper, and eventually turns round to about 80° west. Near the stone in the defile, known as the Sar-i-Sang (fig. 5), the beds are raised up vertically or nearly so. … The dip becomes uniformly west on emerging fro the defile, and remains so in the Shinghar range (GRIESBACH, C L 1884: 182-184). GEOLOGY: … in the Shirani and Sulaiman Hills, the main formations run north and south in one great anticlinal arch or fold with minor secondary folding eastwards near the plains. The lowest formation seen along the main axis of the range is probably of Jurassic age, and is a thick, massive limestone. Above it come the so-called Belemnite shales of neocomian (?) age. Above these lie immense thicknesses of eocene Nummulitic limestone, sandstone and shales, the whole having a resemblance of the Beluchistan and Sind rocks rather than those of the country further north. Over these are the Siwalik sandstones, shales and conglomerates of younger Tertiary age, dipping regularly under the recent deposits of the Indus valley (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 11: 260). DESCRIPTION: Water percolating through open joints and between the bedding has here and there removed portions of the limestone beds, leaving caves, soe of them of considerable extent. At several points water issues in the form of springs out of openings between the jointed masses of the limestone beds. One of these springs in the defile has a temperature of 74° [note 3] and seems to contain some mineral in solution. It is perhaps possible that the high temperature is owing to heat evolved by the decomposition of iron pyrites, common in the shaly layers between the lower cretaceous sandstones (GRIESBACH, C L 1884: 183-184). the defile, and remains so in the Shinghar range (GRIESBACH, C L 1884: 182-184). GEOLOGY: … in the Shirani and Sulaiman Hills, the main formations run north and south in one great anticlinal arch or fold with minor secondary folding eastwards near the plains. The lowest formation seen along the main axis of the range is probably of Jurassic age, and is a thick, massive limestone. Above it come the so-called Belemnite shales of neocomian (?) age. Above these lie immense thicknesses of eocene Nummulitic limestone, sandstone and shales, the whole having a resemblance of the Beluchistan and Sind rocks rather than those of the country further north. Over these are the Siwalik sandstones, shales and conglomerates of younger Tertiary age, dipping regularly under the recent deposits of the Indus valley (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 11: 260). DESCRIPTION: Water percolating through open joints and between the bedding has here and there removed portions of the limestone beds, leaving caves, soe of them of considerable extent. At several points water issues in the form of springs out of openings between the jointed masses of the limestone beds. One of these springs in the defile has a temperature of 74° [note 3] and seems to contain some mineral in solution. It is perhaps possible that the high temperature is owing to heat evolved by the decomposition of iron pyrites, common in the shaly layers between the lower cretaceous sandstones (GRIESBACH, C L 1884: 183-184).