International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B7. Istanbul 2004 
  
The use of Remote Sensing techniques are very useful 
tools for quick assessment and monitor such kind of 
changes, especially the use of these techniques in 
Geographical Information System (GIS) enable us to 
interpret and visualize the changes taken place from time 
to time. Visual and digital image interpretation of the 
available images together in GIS environment will lead us 
to conclude and recommend certain concrete steps to stop 
mining activities and propose certain other sites suitable 
for the mining. 
Therefore an attempt has been made to monitor these 
changes in putting the aerial photos in GIS environment 
and to derive some concrete conclusion. 
GEOLOGY OF THE MARGALLA HILL RANGE 
The rocks in the area range in age from Jurassic to 
Paleocene and are of sedimentary origin. The limestone 
deposits of the Samana Suk and lockhart limestone 
formation from the main source of aggregate material 
around lslamabad and are being quarried extensively 
(Figure 4). 
= x P E 
i a Ep GEOLOGICAL MAP 
i MM BBY WESTERN PART OF 
A MARGALA HILL RANGE 
N 
SCALE 
UIT T — T3 
LEGENC 
m= Grand nok Rond 
  
  
    
rE 
GENOZOK E 
Modified 
from: Latif. et 
  
  
MESOZOIC 
  
  
  
Figure 4: Geological Map of Margalla Hill Range & 
Surrounding Areas 
The various lithological units are described as under: 
a) Hangu Formation: It consists of laterite, 
lateritic claystone and sandstone with minor 
siltstone. Sandstone is reddish brown, weathers 
dark rusty brown, fine to coarse grained, 
pisolitic and ferruginous. 
b) Lockhart Formation: It is well-developed 
formation in the area. It consists of 
predominantly ^ marine limestone and 
subordinate marl and shale. Limestone is pale 
gray to dark gray, medium grained, thick 
bedded, in part nodular, hard, bituminous, and 
fossiliferous. Marl is grayish black amid 
fossiliferous. The shale is olive, gray to 
greenish gray and has weakly developed 
cleavage. Thickness ranges from 70 to 280 m. 
Limestone has an average Los Angels Abrasion 
Test Value of 22.79 percent loss for 500 
revolutions. The average' apparent specific 
gravity of the crushed rock is 2.69 and average 
absorption is 0.625. 
c) Chichali Formation: It comprises sandstone 
and shale. Sandstone is grayish green to dark 
yellowish green, glauconitic, massive hard. 
Shale is greenish black, thin bedded and fissile. 
d) Lumshiwal Formation: Small Ienticular bodies 
of this formation are exposed in the range. The 
formation comprising greenish gray, medium 
grained, glauconitic sandstone and yellowish 
gray limestone is exposed in the range. The 
imestone is thin to medium  bedded, 
argillaceous and at certain places it becomes 
shelly. 
e) Samana Suk Formation: It is exposed on the 
southern side in the form of lenticular body. It 
is composed of thin to medium bedded 
limestone with — subordinate calcareous 
sandstone. The limestone and dolomite belong 
to marine environment and deposited on a 
continental shelf. Limestone of Samana Suk 
Formation indicates different amounts of 
energy in the various carbonate depositional 
environments. The limestone is brownish gray 
to yellowish gray. It is oolitic biomicritic, and 
intrasparitic. Exposed thickness ranges from 
200 to 250 m. Its contact with overlying 
Lumshiwal Formation is unconformable. The 
base is not exposed. 
AVAILABLE DATA 
The following data was available for the study. 
tH Landsat image showing the recent most picture of 
the Margalla Hill Range. 
C Aerial Photographs of 1953, 1983 and 1999. 
Ed General Toposheet (43C/14) on a scale of 1:50,000 
prepared by the Survey of Pakistan. 
£d Geological map prepared by the Geological Survey 
of Pakistan. 
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 
Ll The main objective of the study is to study the 
effects of mining on Geomorphology. 
To propose certain alternate sites to reduce the 
environmental impact in the area. 
HÀ To monitor these changes by using GIS and Remote 
Sensing techniques. 
Ed To prepare the Digital Elevation Model, Landuse 
map as by product. 
d 
METHODOLOGY ADOPTED FOR PREPARING 
MAPS 
Creation of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) 
For this study, ILWIS 3.2 version was used. Infact ILWIS 
is a powerful tool not only for the analysis of GIS data 
but it is also a useful tool for the image processing and 
enhancement. 
A detail contours with interval of 15m were drawn from 
the toposheet number 43C/14 in GIS and for this purpose, 
1303