Sauksay Gr
Type Locality and Naming
The listed suites were identified by I. V. Pyzyanov and A. Kh. Qafarsky (Pyzyanov, 1965). Previously, rocks corresponding to these suites were described without any dissection under the name of the Sauksayskaya suite (Nikitin, 1932; Sorokin, 1963a). In 1964, K. F. Stazhilo-Aleksyev proposed to maintain this name for the series, which includes the currently distinguished Fortambekskaya, Devlokhanskaya, and Obiharekskaya suites.
Lakhsh (formerly Jirgatol) District — officially renamed in 2016 — is located in northeast Tajikistan, and includes the village of Mugh (formerly Muk) within its administrative jamoat Lakhshi Bolo (Wikipedia, 2025; RFE/RL via Asia-Plus, 2016; Wikipedia: Mugh; Wikipedia: Lakhshi Bolo).
Synonym: Sauksayskaya series
Reference section:
Lithology and Thickness
It consists of greenstone quartz porphyries, albite-phylites, spilites, diabases, limestones, and clay slates. Due to the poor study of tectonic structures under conditions of development of uniform greenstone rocks, the incomplete thickness of them is approximately estimated at 4000 m. In places, it possibly decreases to 2000 m.
This series is further divided into Fortambek Fm, Devlokhan Fm, and Obiharek Fm. Yu. A. Sorokin (1963) also believes that limestones in the Sauksay Gr do not occupy a strictly defined stratigraphic position, as they are found in the lower parts of the series (according to I. V. Pyzyanov, this is the Devlokhansk Fm). In this case, according to Yu. A. Sorokin's data, in the western part of the area, quartz porphyries and albite porphyrites predominate in the composition of the Sauksay series volcanics, the apparent thickness of which exceeds 1500 m. According to observations of E. F. Roman'ko and K. F. Stazhilo-Aleksseev, in the extreme eastern part of the area (the basin of the Markansu River) in the section of the Sauksay series, acidic varieties also predominate among the volcanics.
Relationships and Distribution
Lower contact
The rocks with erosion, and sometimes with a noticeable angular unconformity (river Jarf), lie on the upper Silurian-Devonian limestones of the Dikzankou Fm (дикзацкоуской свиты).
Upper contact
The Sauksay Gr is overlain locally with angular unconformity (river Beleuli, Fedchenko glacier), and locally without visible angular unconformity (rivers Kaindy, Ayudzhilga) by the Namurian? limestones of the Udzhilginsk Fm (аюджилгинской свиты), interbedded with sandstones and shales of the Permian Psikharv Fm (пшихарвской свиты) (Uyisu River).
Regional extent
They are distributed in the Muxuy, Lakhsh district. I. V. Pyzyanov and A. Kh. Kafarsky distinguished these suites throughout the development area of the Sauksay Gr. E. F. Roman'ko, K. F. Stazhilo-Aleksseev, and E. S. Cherny, conducting geological mapping in the basin of the Sauksay River, believe that the scheme of I. V. Pyzyanov and A. Kh. Kafarsky is valid only for the watersheds of the Khingau and Muksu rivers, further east, distinctions between the suites disappear due to facies substitutions.
GeoJSON
Fossils
In the middle, limestone part of the section (Devlokhansk Fm) (девлоханская свита), late Turonian rugose corals Cyathoclisia multiseptatum Gorsky, Siphonophyllia cylindrica Scoul.; brachiopods Spirifer ex gr. tornacensis Kon., and slightly higher, a rich complex of Visean corals Lithostrotion irregulare Phill., L. junceum Flem., Diphyphyllum vermiculare Stuck., Palaeosmilia murschisoni Edw. et Haime, Syringopora cf. reticulata (Goldf.) and others were found. According to I. V. Pyzyanov (1965), the upper barren sandstones and shales (Obiharinsk Fm) (обихарекская свита) are likely Serpukhovian.
Age
Depositional setting
Additional Information