32 FASCOE: GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON MESOPOTAMIA. 



Quyunli stream- course a broad patch fringes the river as far as 

 Salamiyah {see map, pi. 3). A small outcrop is seen two miles 

 further on, and the oil occurrence south-east of Nimrud probably 

 denotes a continuation of it beneath the alluvium. This long out- 

 crop is probably continuous beneath the Tigris with that on the west 

 bank of the river, but appears to constitute a minor line of anticlinal 

 folding, the river occupying a shallow syncline of red clays and other 

 soft beds belonging to the upper horizons of the Fars series. Some 

 red sandstone in the stream-course at Salamiyah might possibly 

 belong to the Kurd series. 



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Hawi Arslan Dome. 



There is a distinct crest-maximum or dome-structure at Hawi 

 Arslan, where limestone forms prominent hills. This limestone is 

 succeeded eastwards by red clay as far as and beyond Yangijah. 

 A fossiliferous limestone containing a radially ornamented oyster 

 is seen in this red clay about a mile east of Hawi Arslan and again 

 close to Yangijah, so that much, if not all, of the red clay belongs to 

 the Fars. Whether the structure between the two occurrences is 

 synclinal or anticlinal was not determined. If the former, at least 

 some of the red clay between the two may belong to the Kurd 

 series, but the beds are never far from horizontal, and there could 

 only be a few feet at most of this series present. A little coarse 

 sandstone was seen in the Fars, east of Qarah Quyunli. A little 

 tarry oil exudes from two or three spots, with the usual accompani- 

 ment of sulphuretted hydrogen and sulphur, near the mouth of the 

 small stream debouching at Hawi Arslan, so that this little dome 

 or crest-maximum is worth testing. The horizon from which the 

 oil seeps is very likely the same as that of Hammam Ali on the 

 opposite bank of the river. The best place for a boring would be 

 300 yards north of the present village. 



Humairah Dome. 



There seems to be another gentler dome or crest-rise between 

 Humairah-as-Sifla and Humairah-al-Uliyah, and since there are two 

 small sulphur emanations near the former this might also be worth 

 testing. A boring at Hawi Arslan should be put down first how- 

 ever. 



