The Geology of some Salt-Plugs in Laristan, Southern Persia

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Abstract
Salt-Plugs occurring in a bare land such as Laristan are intriguing, on account of their fantastic shapes, their queer colouring, and their rock-assemblages. Their profusion here and in only a few other regions in the world awakes interest regarding causal forces, as also the desire to make comparisons. During a reconnaissance in the season 1928–29 I had the opportunity, with A. H. Taitt, to visit or view thirty-three different salt-plugs. Although the needs of survey prevented us from making a detailed study of any of the occurrences, notes and specimens were collected in sufficient quantities to yield a considerable amount of new information, which is set forth below. The extrusive salt has come to the surface at different periods from Oligocene to Pliocene, has formed hills and salt-gypsum ‘glaciers’, and has left after erosion great corries in the limestone ‘whaleback’ mountains of the region. It has penetrated the folds irregularly, so that the salt-masses show no recognizable order of distribution within the zone where they occur, an area determined by the front of the South Persian nappes. It is suggested that they have originated through tangential pressure acting on a series of beds which extends at least as low as the Ordovician in places, is up to 25,000 feet thick, and is underlaid by salt and gypsum of Cambrian or possibly pre-Cambrian Age. A. T. Wilson (now Sir Arnold) (3), G. E. Pilgrim (2, 9, 11), R. K. Richardson (15, 25), K. Krejci (20), G. M. Lees (21, 24, 27),

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