Mesozoic • Triassic–Jurassic In GSP lexicon

Aghil Limestone

Middle Triassic to Early Jurassic

Cited in 8 sources Last reviewed Jul 30, 2026

Unit summary

Rank: Not recorded
Status: Published
Age: Mesozoic · Triassic–Jurassic · Middle Triassic–Early JurassicMiddle Triassic to Early Jurassic
Named by: Desio (1964)
Type locality: Aghil pass, Shaksgam–Baltoro region, eastern Karakoram36.1800°N, 76.6200°E
Thickness: 1000+ m
Lithology: Grey and white limestone and dolomite.
Synonyms: Not recorded

A thick Triassic–Jurassic limestone of the eastern Karakoram that forms peaks like Gasherbrum and Hidden Peak.

Named after Aghil Pass. Forms highest peaks in Karakoram including Hidden Peak (8068m) and Gasherbrum peaks. Massive carbonate platform.

Fossils

Foraminifera Algae Megalodontidae (bivalves)Benthic foraminifera (Aulotortus friedli, Agathammina)

Contacts

In the Karakoram column

Shale / mudSandstoneLimestoneFossils recordedContact not recorded

Band colour = period; texture = dominant rock type. Lines between bands mark the contact type; dotted = no contact recorded in the sources (not a claim of conformity). True scale makes height ∝ recorded thickness; hatched = thickness not recorded. Ages approximate, for ordering.

This unit (highlighted) within its province column; faded ends continue above and below. Line style marks the contact type.

Distribution & setting

Karakoram

Basin: Not recorded
Region: Not recorded
Depositional environment: marine
Coordinates: 36.1800°N, 76.6200°E

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Correlation

Not recorded. Compare this unit against other basins on the correlation panel →

Economic significance

Not recorded

Remarks

A thick carbonate succession of the eastern Karakoram (Shaksgam–Baltoro and Aghil ranges) that builds some of the highest summits of the range, including Hidden Peak (Gasherbrum I, 8068 m) and the Gasherbrum peaks.

Research notes (3)

Field-by-field findings drawn from the cited literature. Every statement is traced to a registered source — follow a citation for the full reference.

Name & nomenclature (1)

Attested in Shah (2009), Geological Survey of Pakistan Memoir 22 - the Stratigraphic Committee of Pakistan's compiled lexicon (listed in the memoir's contents). Adds the definitional GSP/SCP lexicon citation.

Shah, S.M.I. (2009)

Age & correlation (2)

Gaetani et al. (2013): the Aghil carbonate platform began prograding over the basinal Borom Formation in the early Carnian; benthic foraminifera date Member B (Aulotortus friedli, Agathammina austroalpina, Miliolipora cuvillieri) as Norian–Rhaetian and Member C (Trocholina crassa, Duotaxis birmanica) as Norian, with the topmost part drowned in the latest Triassic — a Late Triassic (Carnian–Rhaetian) platform rather than the curated 'Middle Triassic to Early Jurassic'. Studied in the Ashtigar gully as three informal members: A (~150–200 m recrystallized dolostone), B (~150 m megalodontid-rich dolostone/limestone) and C (~60 m nodular limestone to radiolarian wackestone).

Gaetani, M., Nicora, A., Henderson, C., Cirilli, S., Gale, L., Rettori, R., Vuolo, I. & Atudorei, V. (2013)
Zanchi & Gaetani (2011): the Aghil Formation is Late Triassic — deformed megalodontids and dasycladacean fragments indicate a Late Triassic age, and at the top (south of Reshit, Chapursan) reworked scleractinian corals and ammonoids suggest a latest Triassic age. Total thickness may exceed 1500 m of massive peritidal-to-subtidal carbonate. Name from the 'Aghil Limestone' of Auden (1938), resumed by Desio (1963) and adopted as a formation by Gaetani et al. (1990a); unconformably covered by the Cretaceous Tupop Formation.

Zanchi, A. & Gaetani, M. (2011)

Sources (7)

Malkani, M.S. & Mahmood, Z. (2017). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 24.
Kazmi, A.H. & Jan, M.Q. (1997). Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan. Graphic Publishers, Karachi.
OpenStreetMap contributors and GEOnet Names Server (public geographic gazetteers), used to geolocate named GSP type localities to approximate decimal coordinates.
Rolfo, F., Groppo, C. & Gaetani, M. (2014). A geological cross-section north of Karakorum, from Yarkand to K2. Journal of the Virtual Explorer, 47, Paper 1. https://doi.org/10.3809/jvirtex.2014.00336
Shah, S.M.I. (2009). Stratigraphy of Pakistan. Geological Survey of Pakistan, Memoir Vol. 22.
Gaetani, M., Nicora, A., Henderson, C., Cirilli, S., Gale, L., Rettori, R., Vuolo, I. & Atudorei, V. (2013). Refinements in the Upper Permian to Lower Jurassic stratigraphy of Karakorum, Pakistan. Facies, 59, 915-948.
Zanchi, A. & Gaetani, M. (2011). The geology of the Karakoram range, Pakistan: the new 1:100,000 geological map of Central-Western Karakoram. Italian Journal of Geosciences, 130(2), 161-262.

Reviewer confidence: high

Every fact on this page is source-cited. This entry is part of the peer-archived Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991, CC‑BY‑4.0).

Lexicon status: Name attested in the Shah (1977/2009) Geological Survey of Pakistan compilation — the national stratigraphic lexicon. This records where the name is documented; it is not an endorsement of the unit’s definition, age or figures.

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Cite this unit

APA

Qudsi, L. (2026). Aghil Limestone. In Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991

BibTeX

@misc{stratigraphypk_aghillimestone,
  author    = {Qudsi, Lareb},
  title     = {{Aghil Limestone} --- Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset},
  year      = {2026},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  doi       = {10.5281/zenodo.21363991},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991}
}

Archived dataset: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991 (CC‑BY‑4.0) · Direct link to this entry: https://stratigraphy.pk/formation/aghil-limestone (accessed October 29, 2026).

To cite the unit's original definition instead, see: Desio (1964).

Below · older

Borom Formation

Triassic

Above · younger

Reshit Formation

Jurassic

Referenced in other successions

Overlain by Ashtigar Formation· Tekri Formation· Tupop Formation