The Department of Earth Sciences (DES), University of Kashmir (KU), organised a two-day ANRF and MoES sponsored Pre-INQUA Geological Field Workshop.
Conceived as an academic and field-based preparatory platform for the forthcoming conference of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), scheduled to be held in 2027 at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, the workshop aimed to align Quaternary observations from the Kashmir Valley with global research priorities.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Dean Research, KU, Prof. Mohammad Sultan Bhat, emphasised the urgent need for systematic identification, documentation, and preservation of Karewa deposits and associated Quaternary archives.
"They are important in reconstructing the palaeogeological and palaeoclimatic history of the Kashmir Valley," he said.
He also assured full institutional support for safeguarding this geological heritage and proposed the development of a formal MoU with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to strengthen coordinated research, technical collaboration, and long-term conservation of these nationally significant deposits.
Dr. Vinod Kumar, Director, GSI Jammu Division, in his keynote address, highlighted the national relevance of Kashmir’s Quaternary sequences for understanding climate variability, geomorphic evolution, and environmental change. Dr. Abdul Qayoom Paul, Director, GSI Kashmir Division, stressed on the importance of sustained institutional linkages between academia and national geoscientific agencies for advancing high-quality field research and heritage conservation.
Dr. Reyaz Ahmad Dar, faculty at DES KU, in his welcome address, outlined the scientific significance of the Kashmir Valley’s Quaternary archives and the objectives of the Pre-INQUA initiative.
The workshop featured extensive field excursions to key palaeoclimate archives and classic Quaternary sections of the Kashmir Valley. On day one participants visited Wanihama and MakhaiBagh LPS (Dilpur Formation) of Late Quaternary age. Day two included visits to the type sections of the Lower and Upper Karewa, including the Nagum section (type section of Methowin and Pampore Members), the Khan Sahib section (type section of the Dilpur Formation), and the Waterhail section representing the Dubjan and Rambiera Members of the Lower Karewa. Field discussions and on-site interpretations were facilitated by resource persons including Dr. Reyaz Ahmad Dar, Dr. Rayees A. Shah, Dr. Vinod Kumar, Dr. Abdul Qayoom Paul, Dr. Malik Zubair Ahmad, Dr. Sarah Qazi, Dr. Wasem Qader, and Dr. Omar J. Paul.
The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Malik Zubair Ahmad, co-organising secretary of the event.
Participants from various universities, IITs, national research institutes, and colleges across the country attended the workshop.
