Lupghar Formation
Permian
Karakoram-Hindukush Basin · Central Karakoram Batholith
Part of Chapursan Group
Permian in the time scale →Cited in 7 sources Last reviewed Aug 20, 2026
- Rank
- formation
- Status
- Published
- Age
- Paleozoic · Permian · Early PermianPermian
- Named by
- Gaetani et al. (1995)
- Type locality
- Lupghar valley36.7200°N, 74.4500°E
- Thickness
- about 300–380 m
- Lithology
- Lower member of interbedded shale, mudstone and sandstone with phosphatic nodules; upper member of thick-bedded bioclastic and oolitic limestone and dolomite.
- Synonyms
- Not recorded
A lower Permian shale-to-limestone unit of the Chapursan Group in upper Hunza.
Lupghar formation is named after Lupghar valley, a tributary of Chapursan by Gaetani et al. (1995) and he presented lower member includes shale, muds and sandstone with phosphatic nodules, and upper member bioclastic and oolitic limestone and dolomite of Early Permian.
Fossils
Not recorded
Contacts
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
- Basin
- Karakoram-Hindukush Basin
- Region
- Central Karakoram Batholith
- Depositional environment
- marine, shallow marine
- Coordinates
- 36.7200°N, 74.4500°E
Correlation
Not recorded. Compare this unit against other basins on the correlation panel →
Economic significance
Not recorded
Remarks
Lower formation of the Chapursan Group in the Upper Hunza region; rests on the Gircha Formation and is conformably overlain by the Panjshah Formation.
Research notes (4)
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), citing Gaetani et al. (1995): shallow-water carbonate intercalations prevailed during the Artinskian in the Lupghar Formation, with a sedimentary gap recognised toward the top of the Lower Permian — consistent with the curated Early Permian (Artinskian) assignment.
-
Gaetani et al. (1995): the Lupghar Formation is mostly Sakmarian - Member 1 carries the Hunzina electa brachiopod range zone (with Permochonetes pamiricus, Cleiothyridina ailakensis, Trigonotreta paucicostulata) correlated to the Sakmarian of SE Pamir, Central Elburz and Western Australia; the base of Member 2 yields a Pseudofusulina plena-P. incompta fusulinid assemblage, and an early Artinskian age cannot be excluded for the upper part of Member 2. It overlies the Gircha Formation and is overlain by the Panjshah Formation.
Geological significance (1)
-
Gaetani et al. (1995): the Lupghar Formation is formally named here (Chapursan Group), separated from the lower part of the informal 'Panjshah fm.' of Gaetani et al. (1990) because of a probable hiatus between its members 2 and 3; the composite type section runs along both sides of Lupghar valley near Raminji (Upper Hunza/Chapursan). It comprises two members - a lower mixed terrigenous-carbonate Member 1 (cyclothems 7-20 m thick, max ~210 m) and a carbonate-dominated Member 2 (bioclastic and oolitic calcarenites passing up to peritidal dolostones and subtidal limestones, 150-280 m) - for a total of about 300-380 m.
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.
- 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.
- Kazmi, A.H. & Abbasi, I.A. (2008). Stratigraphy and Historical Geology of Pakistan. Department & National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar. 524 pp. ISBN 978-969-9119.
- Gaetani, M., Angiolini, L., Garzanti, E., Jadoul, F., Leven, E.Ya., Nicora, A. & Sciunnach, D. (1995). Permian stratigraphy in the Northern Karakorum, Pakistan. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, 101(2), 107-152.
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.
Cite this unit
Qudsi, L. (2026). Lupghar Formation. In Pakistan Stratigraphy Dataset [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21363991
@misc{stratigraphypk_lupgharformation,
author = {Qudsi, Lareb},
title = {{Lupghar Formation} --- 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/lupghar-formation (accessed October 29, 2026).
To cite the unit's original definition instead, see: Gaetani et al. (1995).
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