20 PASCOE: GEOLOGICAL NOTES ON MESOPOTAMIA. 



fold of the Jabal Najmah, which is a continuation of that of the 

 Jabal Qaiyarah, persists for at least 12 miles further north-west, 

 but not in the same straight line. This is shown correctly by the 

 £-inch map (pi. 3). Possibly the fold curves into its new alignment 

 along the Jabal Yawan, but from the air the latter appeared to be 

 echelonned on the Najmah Range ; if this be correct it constitutes, 

 strictly speaking, a new anticline, or rather two new anticlines, 

 since the echelon appears to be double. Whether curved or eche- 

 lonned, an anticlinal structure persists over this line. 



Furthermore, on passing over a conspicuous mound covering 

 some buried town, and what looked like the site of a ruined village 

 adjacent thereto, I noticed a pool of water forming part of a stream- 

 course, in which was a whitish deposit resembling sulphur and a 

 black deposit of the appearance of tar. My pilot also observed 

 it and agreed with me as to its resemblance to an oil seepage. We 

 were flying at 1,000 feet and may easily have been deceived, as both 

 sulphur and tar have their natural imitations in this country. I 

 record the observation for what it is worth, and my reason for doing 

 so, is its important bearing, if it be a genuine seepage, on the possible 

 extension of this oil field. On the map I located it about half a 

 mile south of the track from Hadhr to Shura just before it crosses 

 the range, eight or nine miles W.N.W. of Qishlah, but Lieut. Price 

 placed it two or three miles further W.N.W. ; it occurs on the 

 southern slope of the range (see map, pL 3). 



With regard to the flanks of the anticline, slight undulations 

 . therein — a result of the breadth and gentleness of the fold — made 

 it difficult to estimate the general average maximum dip, especially 

 on the south-west where alluvium conceals the steeper-dipping beds. 

 West of Qaiyarah the average maximum dip in the south-western 

 limb is probably in the neighbourhood of 15°, rising to 19° or 20° 

 in the Qishlah area. On the north-eastern flank the general maxi- 

 mum dip is probably nearer 10° or 12°, but slight puckers, caused 

 by the weight of the rocks in such a broad gentle arch, bring in local 

 djps of 37°, 20°, etc. For practical purposes the fold may be looked 

 upon as symmetrical, though the Qishlah area shows a slight 

 steepening on the south-west (see sections, pi. 3). 



.'^ The same '' choking " of the stream-courses noticed else- 

 where (pp. 12 and 16) was observed, and extended up into the Fars 

 outcrop. 



