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.
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 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |