Salt Range of Pakistan

Salt Range of Pakistan

Salt Range of Pakistan

The Salt Mountain Range, a series of hills and low mountains between the valleys of the Indus and Jhelum rivers, is located in the northern part of the Punjab region in Pakistan. It derives its name from the extensive rock deposits of salt that make up one of the richest salt fields in the world; They are from the Precambrian Era and range in thickness to over 1,600 feet (490 m). The range is about 186 miles (300 km) from east to west, and its width, in the central and eastern parts, is 5 to 19 miles. It has an average elevation of 2,200 feet, and its highest elevation, at Sakesar Mountain, is 4,992 feet (1,522 meters). In addition to salt deposits extracted from ancient times, the series salt contains coal, gypsum, and other minerals.

The shape of the land is a series of low mountains from which the upper layers have been removed due to erosion. The Southern Terrace forms the Butwar Plateau (1,700 feet), southwest of Rawalpindi, and is made up of two asymmetric, parallel ridges divided by a longitudinal valley. The southern slopes of both hills are steep. The northern slopes are inclined. The northern edge (the Cuesta - meaning a steep plain, peaking at the upper end at the clifftop), with an average elevation of 2,300 to 2,600 feet, and steep southern slopes is the lowest. The range is divided into separate mountain blocks or masses of rock in the west and east. The field path swings west from Saksar to the northwest, with lower longitudinal ranges. The Indus crosses the ranges in the Kalabagh, and flows between vertical slopes inaccessible by communication. The peaks of the Salt Range are inclined, hilly, and hilly. The highest peaks are Sakesar in the west, and Massif Chel (Chail), 3,700 feet, in the east. A system of deep ravines (badlands) arose on the northern slope.

Structurally, the salt chain is a highly volatile mass from the northwestern portion of the Indian platform, or shield, to a great elevation along the southern fracture, with the sedimentary layers sloping uniformly to the north. The slope of the layers in the middle part is about 10 degrees, and in the western, eastern and northern parts it is up to 45 degrees.

The climate of the Salt Series is continental and arid and changes from tropical to subtropical climate. Tropical air predominates during all seasons of the year except for the cold winter months when the relatively cold polar air breaks through at the end of high-pressure systems (hurricanes). This is a cold and wet season. During the summer, the sediments are associated with the humid southwest (Indian) tropical monsoons, which reach their limits in western Punjab but bring the largest amounts of rain (more than 50 percent annually).

Agriculture is limited due to poor soil and lack of water for irrigation. Small terraces are being constructed on slopes and in valleys for irrigation using lake and spring water. Dry farming prevails in the valleys.

In the plants of the salt chain there are Afro-Arab and Mediterranean elements. Before the loss of natural vegetation, the region was covered in the south with thin forests of dry (drought-resistant) vegetation, and in the north, it was mainly savannah. Nowadays a small mass of delicate forests has been preserved through conservation in the southeast. Among the forest trees are acacia, pine, wild olive, and others. Other distinctive plants include burrows, camel thorns, and other scrubs and woods.

On the southern slope of the Salt Range is the largest deposits of rock salt in Pakistan, at Khewra, Warchha and Kālābāgh. Coal deposits are found in Dandot, Pidh, and Makarwāl Kheji. Traces of petroleum are related to limestone and sandstone deposits in the western part of the Salt Range. In the salt-bearing range in the eastern part of the salt range, layers of continental rock and dolomite are found. Also in the eastern parts, there are bauxite beds.

Large deposits of high-quality gypsum and anhydrite, an important mineral for calcium, were found near Jalalpur. Economically speaking, salt and coal mines and limestone quarries are the most important. The only population center of any size associated with the Salt Hogilum mountain range. Most cities are in the same range as mines and quarries.

The main ethnic groups in the region are the Pandzhabt, Dzhat, and Aran peoples, who speak Hindi languages ​​(mainly Lakhrda). While there is marginal farming in the valleys and on the few terraces and some animal husbandry on the hillsides that have been overgrazed, the main occupation is salt extraction.