Refinements in the Upper Permian to Lower Jurassic stratigraphy of Karakorum, Pakistan

New sampling on critical intervals of the uppermost Permian and Triassic successions of the Northern Karakorum Terrain in the Karakorum Range (Pakistan) has refined the stratigraphy. Two types of successions may be distinguished in the Karakorum Range: a carbonate platform succession, spanning the whole interval from Upper Permian to Upper Triassic, possibly with several gaps; and a basinal succession, deposited from the Middle Permian to Early Carnian (Late Triassic), when the carbonate platform prograded into the basin. With the approaching and later docking of the Karakorum Block against the Asian margin closing the Paleo-Tethys, a portion of Karakorum emerged while another part subsided as a fore-deep, receiving clastics from the emerging Cimmerian Range. Molassic sediments filled the basin, whilst shallow-water carbonates transgressed over the emerged carbonate platform sometime between the latest Triassic and the Pliensbachian (Early Jurassic), with Cimmerian deformation occurring to the north. The age control is provided by conodonts, with assemblages of late Wuchiapingian, Changhsingian, Induan (Griesbachian and Dienerian), late Olenekian, early Anisian, late Ladinian, and early Carnian ages, respectively. Some information on the section around the P/T boundary is provided by palynology and isotopic C13 values. The dating of the Norian/Rhaetian platform is provided by foraminifers.