Active stress field and fault kinematics of the Greater Caucasus

Tibaldi, Alessandro; Tsereteli, Nino; Varazanashvili, O.; Babayev, Gulam; Barth, Andreas; Mumladze, T.; Bonali, Fabio Luca; Russo, Elena; Kadirov, Fakhraddin A.; Yetirmishli, Gurban; Kazimova, Sabina

doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2019.104108

Cited by 24 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…A broad array of new data sets from the Greater Caucasus has been published in recent years, including low-temperature thermochronology to constrain exhumation timing and magnitude (e.g., Avdeev and Niemi, 2011;Vincent et al, 2011Vincent et al, , 2020Vasey et al, 2020), sediment provenance analysis to constrain paleogeography (e.g., Morton et al, 2003;Vincent et al, 2014;Cowgill et al, 2016;Tye et al, 2021), and investigation of geomorphic indices of uplift (e.g., Forte et al, 2014) and geodetic data (e.g., Reilinger et al, 2006;Kadirov et al, 2012;Sokhadze et al, 2018) to constrain modern deformation patterns. Structural and tectonic studies (e.g., Alania et al, 2020aAlania et al, , 2020bTibaldi et al, 2018Tibaldi et al, , 2020Vasey et al, 2020) are often localized and do not report regionally distributed structural data from the core of the range, which are critical for establishing a tectonic framework in which to interpret the new data sets in the context of active orogenic uplift and evolution.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonostratigraphy and major structures of the Georgian Greater Caucasus: Implications for structural architecture, along-strike continuity, and orogen evolution

et al. 2022

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Although the Greater Caucasus Mountains have played a central role in absorbing late Cenozoic convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, the orogenic architecture and the ways in which it accommodates modern shortening remain debated. Here, we addressed this problem using geologic mapping along two transects across the southern half of the western Greater Caucasus to reveal a suite of regionally coherent stratigraphic packages that are juxtaposed across a series of thrust faults, which we call the North Georgia fault system. From south to north within this system, stratigraphically repeated ~5–10-km-thick thrust sheets show systematically increasing bedding dip angles (<30° in the south to subvertical in the core of the range). Likewise, exhumation depth increases toward the core of the range, based on low-temperature thermochronologic data and metamorphic grade of exposed rocks. In contrast, active shortening in the modern system is accommodated, at least in part, by thrust faults along the southern margin of the orogen. Facilitated by the North Georgia fault system, the western Greater Caucasus Mountains broadly behave as an in-sequence, southward-propagating imbricate thrust fan, with older faults within the range progressively abandoned and new structures forming to accommodate shortening as the thrust propagates southward. We suggest that the single-fault-centric “Main Caucasus thrust” paradigm is no longer appropriate, as it is a system of faults, the North Georgia fault system, that dominates the architecture of the western Greater Caucasus Mountains.

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Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonostratigraphy and major structures of the Georgian Greater Caucasus: Implications for structural architecture, along-strike continuity, and orogen evolution

et al. 2022

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“…Recent GPS and earthquake data indicate that the RFFTB is still tectonically active and the earthquakes focal mechanisms are mainly thrust faults (e.g., Adamia et al, 2004;Tsereteli et al, 2016, Adamia et al, 2017Sokhadze et al, 2018;Tibaldi et al, 2020, Tibaldi et al, 2021.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the last several years the understanding of the structure and kinematic evolution of the RFFTB has changed to a great extent. These studies have investigated this region focusing on 1) the tectonic development of the RFFTB (e.g., Banks et al, 1997;Vakhania, 2008a;Vakhania, 2008b;Adamia et al, 2010;Forte et al, 2014;Cowgill et al, 2016;Tibaldi et al, 2018;Alania et al, 2021a;Trexler et al, 2022), 2) the deformation style of the RFFTB (e.g., Banks et al, 1997;Cowgill et al, 2016;Tibaldi et al, 2017a;Tibaldi et al, 2017b;Tari et al, 2018;Tibaldi et al, 2018), 3) the timing of deformation of the RFFTB (e.g., Banks et al, 1997;Cowgill et al, 2016;Tari et al, 2018;Trexler et al, 2020;Alania et al, 2021a), and 4) the active structures of the RFFTB (e.g., Tsereteli et al, 2016;Adamia et al, 2017;Tibaldi et al, 2017a;Tibaldi et al, 2017b;Tibaldi et al, 2020;Trexler et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deformation structural style of the rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt, western greater caucasus: Insight from the balanced cross-section

et al. 2022

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The Rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt is part of the Greater Caucasus pro-wedge and is one of the most important examples of the collision-driven far-field deformation of the Arabia-Eurasia convergence zone. Here we show the deformation structural style of the Rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt based on seismic reflection profiles and regional balanced cross-section. The main style of deformation within the Rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt is represented by a set of fault-propagation folds, duplexes, and triangle zone. The regional balanced cross-section shows that fault-propagation folds above the upper detachment level can develop by piggyback and break-back thrust sequences. Formation of fault-bend fold duplex structures above the lower detachment is related to piggyback thrust sequences. A balanced section restoration of compressional structures across the Rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt provides a minimum estimate of shortening of −40%, equivalent −42.78 km. The synclines within the Rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt are filled by the Middle Miocene-Pleistocene shallow marine and continental syn-tectonic sediments, forming a series of typical thrust-top basins. Fault-propagation folds and duplex structures formed the main structure of the thrust-top basin. The evolution of the thrust-top basins was mainly controlled by the kinematics of thrust sequences. Using end-member modes of thrust sequences, the thrust-top basins are divided into: 1) Type I-piggyback basin, 2) Type II-break-back basin, and 3) Type III—formation of thrust-top basin characterized by bi-vergent geometry and related to combined, piggyback and piggyback back thrust sequences.

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“…The WNW‐striking Greater Caucasus orogen is located within the Arabia‐Eurasia collision zone and accommodates convergence between Eurasia to the north and the Lesser Caucasus continental block to the south (Figure 2a; Adamia et al., 2011; Cowgill et al., 2016; Forte et al., 2022; Mosar et al., 2010, 2022; Philip et al., 1989; Tibaldi et al., 2020; Vincent et al., 2016, 2007; Zonenshain & Pichon, 1986). The Caucasus region has a complex tectonic history, with multiple episodes of subduction, terrane accretion, and rifting during Phanerozoic time (Adamia et al., 2011; Şengör, 1984; Stampfli, 2013; Vasey et al., 2020).…”

Section: Geological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse Deformation Mechanisms and Lithologic Controls in an Active Orogenic Wedge: Structural Geology and Thermochronometry of the Eastern Greater Caucasus

Cowgill

et al. 2022

Tectonics

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Orogenic wedges are common at convergent plate margins and deform internally to maintain a self‐similar geometry during growth. New structural mapping and thermochronometry data illustrate that the eastern Greater Caucasus mountain range of western Asia undergoes deformation via distinct mechanisms that correspond with contrasting lithologies of two sedimentary rock packages within the orogen. The orogen interior comprises a package of Mesozoic thin‐bedded (<10 cm) sandstones and shales. These strata are deformed throughout by short‐wavelength (<1 km) folds that are not fault‐bend or fault‐propagation folds. In contrast, a coeval package of thick‐bedded (up to 5 m) volcaniclastic sandstone and carbonate, known as the Vandam Zone, has been accreted and is deformed via imbrication of coherent thrust sheets forming fault‐related folds of 5–10 km wavelength. Structural reconstructions and thermochronometric data indicate that the Vandam Zone package was accreted between ca. 13 and 3 Ma. Following Vandam Zone accretion, thermal modeling of thermochronometric data indicates rapid exhumation (∼0.3–1 mm/yr) in the wedge interior beginning between ca. 6 and 3 Ma, and a novel thermochronometric paleo‐rotation analysis suggests out‐of‐sequence folding of wedge‐interior strata after ca. 3 Ma. Field relationships suggest that the Vandam Zone underwent syn‐convergent extension following accretion. Together, the data record spatially and temporally variable deformation, dependent on both the mechanical properties of deforming lithologies and perturbations such as accretion of material from the down‐going to the overriding plate. The diverse modes of deformation are consistent with the maintenance of critical taper.

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Active stress field and fault kinematics of the Greater Caucasus

Cited by 24 publications

References 74 publications

Tectonostratigraphy and major structures of the Georgian Greater Caucasus: Implications for structural architecture, along-strike continuity, and orogen evolution

Tectonostratigraphy and major structures of the Georgian Greater Caucasus: Implications for structural architecture, along-strike continuity, and orogen evolution

Deformation structural style of the rioni foreland fold-and-thrust belt, western greater caucasus: Insight from the balanced cross-section

Diverse Deformation Mechanisms and Lithologic Controls in an Active Orogenic Wedge: Structural Geology and Thermochronometry of the Eastern Greater Caucasus

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