Preliminary Geology And Petrography Of Swat Kohistan

few miles dist.ance from the border of Chitral and the southern limit is marked by
3S015'N Latitude, Kalam, the centrally located villc~ge in the area, is connected,
by a metalled road with Mingora and by unmetalled roads with Gebral and
Mahodand in the northwest acd northeast, respectirely. The roads to the
nortoh of Kalam remain closed during winter months because of heavy snow fulls.
Between Bahrain and Kalam, also, tAe road may be temporarily closed.
Mapping was carried out on toposheet Nos. 43 A/11, 43 A112 (both Iff=1
mile), 43 A18 (1"=0.789 mile), and 43 A (lM=3.946 miles) of the Survey of
Pakistan Department. In addition, aerial photographs, covering a, limited area.
on both sides of the river between Ushu and Miandam, were also used. Besides
dense vegetation, this area is mainly covered by two types of rocks,
therefore the photographs coulcl not be of much use. Long traverses were taken
along the main river, major stream courses and foot paths, and over 650
samples were collected for further study. Of these, 200 were cut into thin
sections. Two hundred more vere quickly st~udied in crnshed grains for better
grouping.
Climate und Vegefcation : Swat Kohistan is characterized by warm dry
summers and cold moist winters (Naqvi and Rahmatullah, 1962). The yearly
mean temperature at Kalam is 5l0I?, with January mean of 34.G•‹F and July
mean of 70.8OB. Precipitation fa)ls mainly in the winter and early epring and
averages 30 to 35 inches. Little monsoon rain falls to the north, of Bahrain.
Accumulated snow at Kalnm may reach 8 to 12 feet. In general, the sno~vfall
increases northwards and the rainfall southwards.
Climate and topogrsphy has produced a marked altitudinal zonation of
plants (Porter, 1970). Open oak forest and scrub vegetation at low altitudes
passes upwarda at about 6,000 feet into coniferous forest with chirpine, deodar,
blue pine, silver fir, heech, and spruce, Walnut trees occur around villages up
to 7,500 feet. The altitude of timberline generally lies between 10,500 and
11,000 feet throughout Swat Kohistan,
Geornorphology.
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TeTnieSt~xa.te rare% 1Xcdia~am t%?i~ectby extimne relfehmkwgp &tarrrrift.mim-
There are a number of glacial peaks, some of which reach up to 19,000 feet.
The local relief may be more than 10,000 feet in a horizontal distance of only five
miles. Towards the south, the relief and mean altitude decrease; the psalm in
the ueighbourhood of Madyan are only 12,000 feet. The main valley dopes to
the north of Madyan, up to Utror end Falakser, are V-shaped. Deep and