Tectonostratigraphy, structural geometry and kinematics of the NW Iranian Plateau margin: Insights from the Talesh Mountains, Iran

Neogene Tectono‐Stratigraphic Evolution of the Intermontane Tarom Basin: Insights Into Basin Filling and Plateau Building Processes Along the Northern Margin of the Iranian Plateau (Arabia‐Eurasia Collision Zone)

“…contractional deformation and exhumation during the final closure of the Neo-Tethys ocean and the collision between Eurasia and Arabia starting from the latest Eocene-earliest Oligocene (e.g., Ballato et al, 2011Guest, Stockli et al, 2006;Koshnaw et al, 2018;Madanipour et al, 2017Madanipour et al, , 2018Mouthereau et al, 2012;Pirouz et al, 2017;Rezaeian et al, 2012). This final collisional led to development of a narrow, double-verging mountain belt with up to 4 km of topographic relief that represents an effective orographic barrier to moist air masses sourced from the Caspian Sea (Figure 1; Ballato et al, 2015 and references therein).…”

“…The western Alborz Mountains consist of Precambrian crystalline basement rocks, Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine deposits, Eocene volcanics, volcaniclastics, and intrusives of variable age (Figure 1). This assemblage indicates a complex history of deformation, exhumation, metamorphism, magmatism, subsidence and sedimentation (Figure 1e) that includes: (1) development of a metamorphic basement during the Neoproterozoic Pan‐African Orogeny (e.g., Hassanzadeh et al., 2008); (2) deposition of unconformable carbonate and clastic marine deposits of Precambrian and Paleozoic age associated with the opening the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean (e.g., B. K. Horton et al., 2008); (3) occurrence of the Triassic Cimmerian Orogeny (e.g., Omrani et al., 2013; Zanchi et al., 2009); (4) renewed Mesozoic subsidence with the sedimentation of postorogenic clastic sediments of the Shemshak Formation (e.g., Wilmesen et al., 2009; Zanchi et al., 2009); (5) deposition of shallow‐to deep‐marine middle to Upper Jurassic sediments during the opening of the South Caspian Basin (e.g., Brunet et al., 2003); (6) Cretaceous thermal subsidence and marine sedimentation (Brunet et al., 2003); (7) late Cretaceous to Paleocene deformation and exhumation during a regional compressional event (e.g., Guest, Axen et al., 2006; Madanipour et al., 2017; Yassaghi & Madanipour, 2008); (8) deposition of Eocene volcaniclastics in a backarc system associated with the rollback of the Neo‐Tethyan oceanic slab (Ballato et al., 2011, 2013; Guest, Axen et al., 2006; Rezaeian et al., 2012; Verdel et al., 2011) and finally, (9) contractional deformation and exhumation during the final closure of the Neo‐Tethys ocean and the collision between Eurasia and Arabia starting from the latest Eocene‐earliest Oligocene (e.g., Ballato et al., 2011, 2013, Guest, Axen et al., 2006; Guest, Stockli et al., 2006; Koshnaw et al., 2018; Madanipour et al., 2017, 2018; Mouthereau et al., 2012; Pirouz et al., 2017; Rezaeian et al., 2012). This final collisional led to development of a narrow, double‐verging mountain belt with up to 4 km of topographic relief that represents an effective orographic barrier to moist air masses sourced from the Caspian Sea (Figure 1; Ballato et al., 2015 and references therein).…”

Late Miocene–early Pliocene tectonic to erosional exhumation in the northwest of the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone

“…The Mesozoic sequence of the Talesh Mountains, similar to other parts of the northern Iranian Plateau margin, is generally composed of Triassic to Early Jurassic carbonate and clastic rock units that are unconformably covered by clastic rocks of the Jurassic Shemshak Formation (Figure 2) (Zanchetta et al, 2009; Zanchi et al, 2009). The Upper Cretaceous conglomerate (Kc unit in Figure 2) lies unconformably on older rocks (e.g., Madanipour et al, 2018). This conglomeratic unit is unconformably covered by the Lisar granitoid body in the central part of the Talesh Mountains (Figure 2).…”

“…This conglomeratic unit is unconformably covered by the Lisar granitoid body in the central part of the Talesh Mountains (Figure 2). Clasts of the Lisar granitoid body have been observed in the Cretaceous conglomerate (Madanipour et al, 2018). The ~8 km‐thick Cenozoic strata in the Talesh Mountains mainly comprise volcanic and volcaniclastic rock units, which were rapidly deposited (~2 Myr) in an extensional sedimentary basin (Vincent et al, 2005).…”

“…This Eocene magmatic episode led to the deposition of a thick pile (~6 to 12 km) of volcaniclastic sediments in rapidly subsiding marine basins between ca. 55 and 37 Ma, especially in the Talesh Mountains (Berberian & King, 1981; Brunet et al, 2003; Madanipour et al, 2013, 2018; Verdel et al, 2011; Vincent et al, 2005).…”