38 I'ASCOE: GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON MESOPOTAMIA. 



by alluvium except in the immediate neighbourhood of the 



river. 



Fars series. — Gypsum, limestone and clays of the usual kind are 

 present. 



Kurd series. — The Kurd series also consists of the usual red 

 clays and reddish brown sandstones, the latter occurring a little 

 earlier than usual. Some six or seven miles from the Zab River, 

 down the pitch of the fold, a series of gravel -covered hills is 

 seen, commencing close to one of the villages called Tel-al-Khaimah, 

 which did not appear to correspond with the village of that name 

 on the map, but rather with ' Kiotck ' J ; it is possible these gravelly 

 hills consist of the Conglomeratic stage of the Kurd series (see 

 report on the Jabal Hamrin, p. 20), and they have been tentatively 

 so coloured on the map, but no clear sections were observed. 

 These gravelly mounds extend E.S.E'wards for two or three miles 

 when sandstones and red clays reappear, partly concealed by 

 alluvium. Northwards also of the Quwair dome between Mar 

 Behnam and the Turkish road, is a gravelly range trending 

 N.W. — S.E., which may also consist of this Conglomeratic stage; 

 no sections could be obtained. 



Mesopotamia** Alluvium. — The Mesopotamian Alluvium conceals 

 the Tertiaries along most of the river bank except on the edge of 

 the river itself, where Fars beds just break through and seep oil. 

 This alluvium includes gravel and conglomerate close to the river, 

 especially along the north bank where the conglomerate is tough 

 . and forms prominent cliffs. 



New Alluvium. — New Alluvium conceals any Fars exposure there 

 might be on the north-west bank of the river. 



Structure. 



The dome can be traced across to the north-west bank of the River 

 . Zab, where it pitches very gently in a north-west direction along the 

 old Turkish road (see map, pi. 4). Scarps of the Kurd red clays and 

 sandstones are here exposed, the dip-slope being obscured by alluvium. 

 Separated from this dome by a very shallow syncline, there appears 

 to be another dome or anticline south-west of the road. No Fars beds 

 are visible on this side of the river within the Quwair dome area. 



1 Neither Kiotek nor Kirapat ajjpcared to be known to the local farmers and wayfarors 

 \vhom we aske.l. 



