JABAL MISHRAK AND HAMMAM ALL 27 



Mesopotamian Alluvium. — The gravel above Haudh belongs to 

 the Mesopotamian Alluvium, which forms the usual plateau, and is 

 argillaceous in character. It is pebbly around Hammam Ali. 



New Alluvium. — The New Alluvium is pebbly north of Hammam 

 Ali. 



Structure. 



The Alishrak anticlinal axis follows the sigmoidal curve of the 

 highest points of the range, extending from Safinah, north-west- 

 wards to near Rassif, curving W.N.W'wards past Jahannam and 

 swinging round past Kharrar to a direction a little north of west. 

 The crest reaches its highest point near Tel Sulaiman, south-east 

 of which it pitches, at first gently and finally with an abruptness 

 not much less than 20°, beneath the alluvium at Hadra and Safinah. 

 There appeared to be an outcrop of Fars beds, succeeded by red clays 

 and sandstones to the south, on the opposite bank of the Tigris, 

 showing that the fold persists across the river *; the bed of the latter 

 is here characterised by rapids. N.N. W. "wards from the crest- 

 maximum there appears to be a gentle pitch, but the north-eastern 

 limb of the anticline north of Jahannam becomes involved in a 

 vast rolling outcrop of Fars stretching right up to Mosul and far 

 out to the west, with very gentle dips and numerous minor low undu- 

 lations. It would be impossible to indicate these vagaries on a 

 |-inch map, even if it were more accurate than the one available 

 (pi. 3), but the original anticlinal axis is dimly persistent through 

 the high ground immediately south of Kharrar, when there may 

 possibly be a slight rise of the crest. 



With regard to the flanks, contrary to the rule hitherto observed, 

 and perhaps as a result of the close proximity of a second anticline 

 •on the south-west, the north-eastern limb of the fold is, in a general 

 way, "steeper than the south-western. I say iC in a general way," 

 because there is considerable irregularity in the north-eastern limb 

 and some undulation in the south-western. The map is on too small a 

 scale to indicate these variations, but there are some quite pronounced 

 plunges and recoveries on the part of the north-eastern limb, and in 

 more than one spot a subsidiary anticlinal pucker. Where the 

 anticline pitches, and indeed throughout the whole structure, the 

 dip is never steady for any distance. Although dips of 30° and 



1 I have since learnt from Messrs. A. H. Moblo and R. DuB. Evans that not only is 

 this the case but that the Fars beds are here characterised by copious bitumen 

 and a little oil. 



c2 



;>J, ^i>(7^ 



