'Military Report on (S.-W.) Persia, Volume V. Luristan' [‎11v] (27/152)

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cliffs which crown hills capped by this formation. Below them lie
red sandstones of varying hardness, alternating with layers of soft
rock : this formation, unless protected by a cap of conglomerate,
is rapidly worn away: the sandstones rest conformably upon gyp
sum or limestone beds and are very sharply tilted : they have a uni
form reddish colour. Such sandstones abound south of the Kabir
Kuh (which consists of fossiliferous limestones), and round its east
ern end. Below the sandstones lie beds of gypsum : in the Bakh-
tlari Garmsir they are of great thickness and cover a wide area : in
Luristan they are less thick and are not extensive except between the
Dallch and Kialan ranges : gypsum beds will, however, be found in
every successive valley between the main limestone ranges, lying
immediately above the limestone beds. The first of the great con
vex limestone folds is the Kabir Kuh, and the Kialan in echelon
thereto. The angle of slope on either side of the Kialan is the same,
66 , and the thickness of limestone not less than 2,000, the Ab-i-Fanl
gorge showing no trace of having reached the bottom of the limestone
strata. Below the limestones lie beds of grey and blue marl, which
are exposed on the northern side of Kuh Chinara, accessible only
through the Ab-i-Zal gorge, and in the Badamak valley: they are
quite soft, and rapidly eroded: it is thus that the Chinara range ex
hibits on its northern face a sheer drop of 1,500 / , the limestone break
ing awa,y vertically as the marls beneath it are eroded. It also ac-
counts for the formation of the Badamak valley which is a denuded
saddleback. It is not until Burujird is reached that other than
sedimentary formations are met with. From Burujird to Nihawand,
at the foot of Kuh-i-Garru or Punch Kuh, finely laminated shales
predominate with intrusive veins of marble, and further north
granite is found. . . ,
As is to be expected, there are veins of metallic ores in this re
gion , lead occurs near Burujird, and also bituminous coal, whilst
there are as yet unconfirmed reports of the existence of gold, and of
petroleum, and m the nieghbourhood of Nihawand, of copper.
woi,W a ffnr!f 0rga n <P ff- e 45 .’,Y olume IT ) Points out that the marble
a ® ord excellent lime if burnt, and states that the calcareous
ta, though destitute of fossils, appear to belong to the carboni
ferous series : pockets of bitumen are occasionally met with, and he
1—1 ^ 3 • properly conduct ed search would lead to the
HebirtWsL" 10 ^ '“P': 113111 * and commercially profitable beds,
in quartz ^ that h ® haS SeveraI tlmes met with trace s of copper