File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎79r] (172/522)

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2. Jabal Khanuqah.
Running parallel with the J. Makhul from the Tigris to west of Sharqat is another anticlinal
ridge with N.W.-S.E. trend. It is separated from the J. Makhul by a syncline of Upper Pars beds
which varies in width from 3,000 to 5,500 yards. The Tigris has cut into the N.E.Jimb just south
of Sharqat and runs parallel with the anticline for a distance of 8 miles when it cuts into the axis.
The anticline continues in the Humr Hills and then ends abruptly where the river cuts through at
y* right angles on to the N.E. limb of the J. Makhal, anticline.
Lower Ears beds of normal type forma regular arch in the hills and the middle part of the
flank of the hills is usually a dip slope.
Structure. —The anticline is simple and symmetrical and conforms with the form of the hills.
1 he dip on each limb is approximately the same—the maximum dip found was 30 degs. Starting
from the S.E. the axis of the anticline runs through the highest part of the Humr Hills and then
seems to trend to the north, giving the appearance of forming a sigmoidal curve corresponding to
that of the J, Makhul. It is impossible to determine this for certain as the river has cut through the
axis in the neighbourhood of Oalat-al-Bint. From here north-westward the axis runs through the
highest parts of the range in a general N. W. direction to about six miles west of Sharqat, after which
it appears to merge into the plain and makes no feature further to the N.W. There are two distinc,
crest maxima, one at point 850 in the Humr Hills and the other at the summit of the J. Khanuqaht
point 1272.
Di. Pascoe lound evidence for an E-W fault near Oalat-al-Bint, with a throw to the north,
which has caused Upper Pars beds to crop out in the river, This makes the presence of a strike
fault as vvell a necessity. He also suggests that the sharp southern end of the Humr Hills is due to
the piesence ol a dip fault there, No evidence could be found of any dislocation in the neighbour
hood of Qalat-al-Bint. but the behaviour of the river and the sharp scarps of the Humr Hills is
suggestive of faults.
Prospects :—
{a) Presence of oil-bearing beds. —The anticline.is composed of beds of the Lower Ears series,
part of which is known to be oil-bearing at Fathah.
ib) Cap-Rock, 1 he conditions are similar to the J. Hamrin and J. Makhul.
(c) Geological Structure. I he anticline is of favourable shape and there are two crest
maxima.
The piospects aie similar to those of the J. Hamrin, and J. Makhul, and if oil is found in those
ranges in paying quantities, there is no reason why this anticline should not be profitable as well.
3. The Huwaish Anticline.
Between the J. Khanuqah and the J. Oaiyarah there is a stretch of lower, rather broken, country
about 25 nules across, which at first appears to be a synclinal-area occupied by Upper Ears. The
fact that the higher beds of the series do not appear in the middle of the area led us to think that
the synclinal was broken by another anticline.
The Upper Ears beds come in on the N.E. flank of the J. Khanuqah, about miles south of
bharqat with a dip of 30 degs, but this dip quickly flattens out. At Sharqat the higher beds of
4 -u Q i? enes C1 °P out ’ c -£-' ^ le ^ck beds of greenish, friable, sandstone, which were seen north of
lu , Sr 1 .anticline. About two miles north of Sharqat the dip starts to change to S.W. and along
e cis acmg the liver there is a constant dip of 10 degs. S.W. till about two miles south of
Huwaish where the beds flatten and become horizontal. The S.W. dip has brought the lower
beds ot the Upper Ears to the surface again, but there is no outcrop of Lower Ears here. Further
north the beds again dip S.W. for a short distance and then turn over to the N.E. giving an
anticlinal axis running N.W.-S.E. We followed this axis to the N.W. and found gypsum of the
Lower Ears cropping out near point 752 on the Sharqat-Mosul road. Good exposures were found
in a wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. and dips of 12 degs. N.E. were recorded. The Lower Ears gypsum can be seen dipping
undei Upper Ears beds and clearly indicates that the axis of the anticline is plunging to the S.E.
1 tys anhclme was followed some 5 miles further in the N.W. It forms a distinct ridge the ape x
ot which is point 752, and beyond this point it falls away gradually to the S.E. Still further N.W., the
ground falls rather rapidly to a large wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. , beyond which the ridge does not seem to have any
definite extension. The general impression is that the axis plunges gently to the N.W. also, since,
i it were still rising, new beds of the Lower Ears would be exposed and would almost certainly
form high ground, probably a definite ridge.
. /"Yf J 13 ? 6 ^ iere a c ^ ear anticline. Its axis runs N.W.-S.E. and plunges to the S.E., and beyond
75 ^ also Probably to the N.W. The average dip on the flanks is 10 degs. If there is a true
N.W. plunge there is here an elongated dome, in which only about 50 feet of Lower Ears is
exposed.- The general structure is best shown by the diagrammatic cross section The shape revealed by cutting vertically through a land surface at right angles to the feature of interest. below.
SECTION.

File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎79r] (172/522)

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File 1450/1919 ‘Mesopotamia & Kurdistan: Geological Reports on’ [‎79r] (172/522)

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