CHAP. 2.] KARNUL FORMATION.—PANEUM GROUP. 59 
the structure of the Paneum ‘dome’. The first is run through 
Paneum north-west to Gunny ; the second is a nearly south-south-west 
line from the north-east end of the dome, through the Oopalpad plateau, 
where the south-west end of the dome has been completely denuded ; 
and the third through Kypaw, where the Paneums have thinned out 
north-west to the Novenabode hill. 
Among the Banaganpilly hills the quartzites with their underlying 
rocks have been cleared away to a great extent, only the higher parts of 
the dome being now left as nearly flat eappings to 
TOT EE the numerous limestone hills of that region. About 
here the flat-topped hills are very pieturesque, and at a distance (or from 
the middle of the Khoond-air valley) are not unlike, in outline, some of 
the trap ranges figured in works of various authors on the traps of the 
Deccan. South-west of Banaganpilly the denudation has been so strong 
` that the dome-like character is utterly lost, the original slopes down 
to the low country on all sides being quite worn away. The Oopalpád 
plateau with its bounding edge of scarps alone remains to indicate 
the former extent of these quartzites, This - 
oe Oopalpád plateau is worthy of notice from its 
marked differences from any other of the extensive hill surfaces in the 
districts under description. It is the largest, though not the most 
perfect, plateau in the country, the most perfect flat-topped range being 
perhaps that four or five miles west-north-west of Banaganpilly with its 
thick capping of white quartzites. This of Oopalpád is not quite flat- 
topped, but the covering of quartzites is lying at a very low angle 
to the eastward, in somewhat of a basin shape, so that the land 
hades well up to the west-north-west and north, and runs flat out to the 
east on the village of Oopalpád as a centre. All round the edges 
of the. plateau there is a sudden descent* to the low country on 
* To show how distinctly edged this plateau is on all sides, there is only one way of 
getting carts on to it, viz. by the little denuded bay north-east of Goodypád on the 
south side; and even here the cart-traffic is only from Oopalpad down to this bay, there 
being an almost impassable terrace of flat beds of limestones outside of it. 
ر 59 ( 
