Total shortening estimates across the western Greater Caucasus Mountains from balanced cross sections and area balancing
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Abstract
The Greater Caucasus orogen forms the northern edge of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Although the orogen has long been assumed to exhibit dominantly thick-skinned style deformation via reactivation of high-angle extensional faults, recent work suggests the range may have accommodated several hundred kilometers or more of shortening since its ~30 Ma initiation, and this shortening may be accommodated via thin-skinned, imbricate fan-style deformation associated with underthrusting and/or subduction. However, robust shortening estimates based upon surface geologic observations are lacking. Here we present line-length and area balanced cross sections along two transects across the western Greater Caucasus that provide minimum shortening estimates of 130-200 km. These cross sections demonstrate that a thin-skinned structural style provides a viable explanation for the structure of the Greater Caucasus, and highlight major structures that may accommodate additional, but unconstrained, shortening.
Suggested Citation
Trexler, C.C., Cowgill, E.S., Vasey, D.A., and Niemi, N.A., 2023, Total shortening estimates across the western Greater Caucasus Mountains from balanced cross sections and area balancing: Tektonika, v. 1, no. 2, p. 198-208, https://doi.org/10.55575/tektonika2023.1.2.50.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Total shortening estimates across the western Greater Caucasus Mountains from balanced cross sections and area balancing |
| Series title | Tektonika |
| DOI | 10.55575/tektonika2023.1.2.50 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Tektonika |
| Contributing office(s) | Earthquake Science Center |
| Description | 11 p. |
| First page | 198 |
| Last page | 208 |
| Other Geospatial | Greater Caucasus Mountains |