Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Active tectonics along the Sheladiz seismogenic fault in the Western Zagros fold-thrust belt, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study attempts to present a clear case of seismic activity caused by the Quaternary reactivation of a seismogenic blind basement fault in the Sheladiz area. This area is located within the Western Zagros fold-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, near the north-eastern margin of the Arabian plate. Focal mechanisms of largest earthquakes were provided by the Harvard CMT and UK ISC bulletins. The Sheladiz fault is a NE-trending, nearly vertical to steeply dipping, seismically active left-lateral (sinistral) strike-slip blind basement fault that extends for more than 80 km with focal depths of 18–24 km, and passes transversely through major fold structures. This fault probably coincides with the continuation of Late Precambrian Kutchuk-Duhok and Sinjar-Herki transverse basement faults that forms the boundary between the Sinjar-Abdul Aziz and Deir Al Zor-Erbil transversal blocks in the study area. Left-lateral (sinistral) strike-slip movements along this basement fault may be related to the anticlockwise rotation of the Arabian plate with respect to the Eurasian plate. The stress inversion results indicate a predominant of N-S (05°/003°) oriented maximum compressive stress (σ1) in the Sheladiz area. This present-day dominant direction supports the active deformation rates along the Arabia‐Eurasia collision zone. Earthquakes in Kurdistan are mainly produced by the neotectonic reactivation of many seismically active blind basement faults that locally occur close to the surface as major faults or well-defined structural and topographic lineaments. The findings of the present study may offer more clues to predict where future earthquakes are most likely to occur.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdulnaby W (2019) Structural geology and neotectonics of Iraq, Northwest Zagros. In: Saein AF (ed) Developments in structural geology and tectonics, chapter 4, vol 3. Elsevier, The Netherlands, pp 53–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Abdulnaby W, Mahdi H, Al-Shukri H et al (2014) Stress patterns in Northern Iraq and surrounding regions from formal stress inversion of earthquake focal mechanism solutions. Pure Appl Geophys 171:2137–2153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-014-0823-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agard P, Omrani J, Jolivet L et al (2011) Zagros orogeny: a subduction-dominated process. Geol Mag 148:692–725

    Google Scholar 

  • Alavi M (1994) Tectonics of the Zagros orogenic belt of Iran: new data and interpretations. Tectonophysics 229(3–4):211–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Alavi M (2004) Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforeland evolution. Am J Sci 304:1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Alavi M (2007) Structures of the Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran. Am J Sci 307:1064–1095

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Azzawi NK (2013) Paleo and Neo-tectonics of the Mosul fault and its impact on the tectonics of the foreland area of Iraq. Iraqi Nat J Earth Sci 13(1):59–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Daghastani HS, Daood MT (2005) Correlation between seismic activity and tectonic elements in Nineveh governorate. Iraqi J Earth Sci 5(2): l–8.

  • Allen M, Jackson J, Walker R (2004) Late Cenozoic reorganization of the Arabia-Eurasia collision and the comparison of short-term and long-term deformation rates. Tectonics 23(2):1–16 (TC2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • Alsinawi SA (2006) Seismicity. In: Jassim SZ, Goff JC (eds) Geology of Iraq. Dolin, Prague and Moravian Museum, Czech Republic, pp 84–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys NN, Melville CP, Adams RD (1994) The seismicity of Egypt, Arabia, and the Red Sea: a historical review. Cambridge University, London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Ameen MS (1979) Regional investigation of geoflexures and tectonic analysis in the simple folded zone of Iraq. Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Mosul, pp. 236

  • Bahroudi A (2003) The effect of mechanical characteristics of basal decollement and basement structures on deformation of the Zagros basin. PhD Thesis, Uppsala University, pp. 43

  • Bahroudi A, Talbot CJ (2003) The configuration of the basement beneath the Zagros basin. J Pet Geol 26(3):257–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Barth A, Reinecker J, Heidbach O (2008) Stress derivation from earthquake focal mechanisms. Guidelines: Focal mechanisms, World Stress Map Project

  • Belinić T, Markušić S (2017) Empirical criteria for the accuracy of earthquake locations on the Croatian territory. Geofizika 34(1):1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellen RC, Dunnington HV, Wetzel R, Morton DM (1959) Iraq—Lexique Stratigraphique International, Paris, vol. III, Asie, Fascicule 10a, Paris, pp. 333

  • Berberian M (1995) Master “blind” thrust faults hidden under the Zagros folds: active basement tectonics and surface morphotectonics. Tectonophysics 241(3–4):193–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernardi F, Lauciani V, Lomax A, et al. (2014) Performance analysis of the Early-Est software within the tsunami early warning system installed at the INGV. EGU General Assembly, held 27 April–2 May, 2014 in Vienna, Austria

  • Bott MHP (1959) The mechanism of oblique-slip faulting. Geol Mag 96:109–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce JI, Pozza MR, Morris WA, et al. (2002) High-resolution magnetic and seismic imaging of basement faults in western Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe, Canada. In: Proceedings of SAGEEP Annual Meeting, February 2002, Las Vegas, Nevada, Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society

  • Bozkurt E (2001) Neotectonics of Turkey—a synthesis. Geodin Acta 14(1–3):3–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09853111.2001.11432432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buday T, Jassim SZ (1987) The regional geology of Iraq: tectonic, magmatism and metamorphism. Vol. 2, S.E. Geological Survey and Mineral Investigation, Baghdad, Iraq, pp. 352

  • Burberry CM (2015) The effect of basement fault reactivation on the triassic—recent Geology of Kurdistan, North Iraq. J Pet Geol 38:37–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Wang D, Wei S (2013) A study on the uncertainties of the centroid depth of the 2013 Lushan earthquake from teleseimic body wave data. Earthq Sci 26:161–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Chung DH, Bernreuter DL (1980) Regional relationships among earthquake magnitude scales. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, UCRL-52745

  • de Vera J, Gines J, Oehlers M, et al. (2009) Structure of the Zagros fold and thrust belt in the Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq. Trabajos de Geología, Universidad de Oviedo 29:213–217

  • Delvaux D, Barth A (2010) African stress pattern from formal inversion of focal mechanism data. Tectonophysics 482(1–4):105–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Delvaux D, Sperner B (2003) New aspects of tectonic stress inversion with reference to the TENSOR program. In: Nieuwland DA (ed) New insights into structural interpretation and modelling. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 212:75–100

  • Delvaux D, Moeys R, Stapel G et al (1995) Palaeostress reconstructions and geodynamics of the Baikal region, Central Asia, Part I. Palaeozoic and Mesozoic pre-rift evolution. Tectonophysics 252(1–4):61–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Doski JAH (2019a) Tectonic interpretation of the Raniya earthquake, Kurdistan, northern Iraq. J Seismolog 23(2):303–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Doski JAH (2019b) Tectonic analysis of lineaments in the Gara anticline, Kurdistan, northern Iraq. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 47(6):941–950

    Google Scholar 

  • Doski JAH, McClay KR (2011) Potential hydrocarbon traps in the detachment folds of the Duhok region, Kurdistan, northern Iraq. AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90124, AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, April 10–13, 2011, Houston, Texas

  • Doski JAH, Mohammad RJ (2016) Tectonic analysis of the Shaikhan earthquakes, Kurdistan, northern Iraq. Arab J Geosci 9:16

    Google Scholar 

  • Edgell HS (1992) Basement tectonics of Saudi Arabia as related to oil field structures. Proc Intern Conf Basement Tectonics 3:169–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekström G, England P (1989) Seismic strain rates in regions of distributed continental deformation. J Geophys Res 94:10231–10257

    Google Scholar 

  • Fouad SFA (2012) Structural zonation of Western Zagros Fold—Thrust Belt of Iraq. In: The Evolution of the Zagros—Makran Fold Belt from Turkey to SE Iran. Institute of Earth Science “Jaume Almera” Barcelona, Spain

  • Fouad SFA (2015) Tectonic map of Iraq, scale 1:1000,000, 3rd edition, 2012. Iraqi Bull Geol Mining 11(1):1–7

  • Foulger GR, Julian BR (2011) Earthquakes and errors: methods for industrial applications. Geophysics 76:WC5–WC15

  • Fraser J, Vanneste K, Hubert‐Ferrari A (2010) Recent behavior of the North Anatolian Fault: insights from an integrated paleoseismological data set. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 115(B09316). https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JB006982

  • GEOSURV (1997) Geological map of Arbeel and Mahabad quadrangles sheets NJ-38-14 and NJ-38-15, Scale 1:250 000, First Edition. State Establishment of Geological Survey and Mining, National Library Legal Deposit No. (237/1997), Baghdad, Iraq

  • GEOSURV (2008) Geological map of Kany Rash quadrangles sheets NJ-38-10, Scale 1:250 000, First Edition. State Company of Geological Survey and Mining, National Library Legal Deposit No. (280/2008), Baghdad, Iraq

  • Ghaib FA, Al-Dawoody AN (2012) Reconnaissance gravity and magnetic surveys across the river Zab west and northeast Erbil city, Iraqi Kurdistan region. University of Salahaddin, Erbil, Iraq

  • Heidbach O, Tingay M, Barth A, et al. (2008) The World Stress Map database release 2008

  • Helffrich GR (1997) How good are routinely determined focal mechanisms? Empirical statistics based on a comparison of Harvard, USGS and ERI moment tensors. Geophys J Int 131:741–750

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JA (1980) Reactivation of basement faults and crustal shortening in Orogenic belts. Nature 283:343–346

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson JA, Haines J, Holt W (1995) The accommodation of the Arabia-Eurasia plate convergence in Iran. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 100(B8):15205–15219

    Google Scholar 

  • Jassim SZ, Buday T (2006a) Tectonic framework. In: Jassim SZ, Goff JC (eds) Geology of Iraq. Dolin Prague and Moravian Museum, Czech Republic, pp 45–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Jassim SZ, Buday T (2006b) Units of the unstable Shelf and the Zagros Suture. In: Jassim SZ, Goff JC (eds) Geology of Iraq. Dolin, Prague and Moravian Museum, Czech Republic, pp 71–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Jassim SZ, Goff JC (2006) Geology of Iraq. Dolin Prague and Moravian Museum, Czech Republic, p 341

    Google Scholar 

  • Kagan YY (2003) Accuracy of modern global earthquake catalogs. Phys Earth Planet Inter 135:173–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalaneh S (2015) Seismic activity zoning of Zagros fold and thrust belt using fractal parameters. J Earth Space Phys 41(3):363–375. https://doi.org/10.22059/jesphys.2015.53602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khalifa A, Çakir Z, Owen LA et al (2018) Morphotectonic analysis of the East Anatolian Fault, Turkey. Turkish J Earth Sci 27:110–126. https://doi.org/10.3906/yer-1707-16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Garzic E, Vergés J, Sapin F et al (2019) Evolution of the NW Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in Kurdistan Region of Iraq from balanced and restored crustal-scale sections and forward modelling. J Struct Geol 124:51–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Lentas K, Harris J (2019) Enhanced performance of ISC focal mechanism computations as a result of automatic first-motion polarity picking optimization. J Seismolog 23:1141–1159

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemati M, Yassaghi A (2010) Structural characteristics of the transitional zone from internal to external parts of the Zagros orogen. Iran J Asian Earth Sci 39(3):161–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Nilforoushan F, Masson F, Vernant P et al (2003) GPS network monitors the Arabia-Eurasia collision deformation in Iran. J Geodesy 77(7–8):411–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Nowroozi AA (1995) On association of seismic lineaments and stress patterns of the southeastern United States: criteria of failure. In: International Conferences on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics. Volume II, Paper No. 9.02, 619–625

  • Numan NMS (1984) Basement control of stratigraphy sequences and structural pattern in Iraq. J Geol Soc Iraq 16–17:8–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Numan NMS, Al-Azzawi NKB (1993) Structural and geotectonic interpretation of vergence directions of anticlines in the foreland folds of Iraq. Abhath Al-Yarmouk Pure Sci Eng Ser Yarmouk Univ Jordan 2:57–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Plafker G (1964) Oriented lakes and lineaments of Northeastern Bolivia. GSA Bull 75(6):503–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Pluijm BA, Marshak S (2004) Earth structure: an introduction to structural geology and tectonics, 2nd edn. W W Norton & Company, New York, p 673

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakellariou D, Tsampouraki-Kraounaki K (2019) Plio-quaternary extension and strike-slip tectonics in the Aegean. In: Duarte JC (ed) Transform plate boundaries and fracture zones, Chapter 14. Elsevier, Netherlands, pp 339–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Singhal BBS, Gupta RP (2010) Applied hydrogeology of fractured rocks, 2nd edn. Springer Science+Business Media BV, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Sissakian VK, Kadhim TH, AbdulJabbar MF (2014) Geomorphology of the high folded zone. Iraqi Bull Geol Mining 6:7–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Vergés J, Saura E, Casciello E, Fernàndez M, Villaseñor A, Jiménez-Munt I, García-Castellanos D (2011) Crustal-scale cross-section across the NW Zagros Belt: implications for the Arabian margin reconstruction. In: Lacombe O, Grasemann B, Simpson G (eds) Geodynamic evolution of the Zagros: geological magazine 148(5–6): 739–761

  • Yin ZM (1996) An improved method for the determination of the tectonic stress field from focal mechanism data. Geophys J Int 125(3):841–849

    Google Scholar 

  • Zebari MM, Burberry CM (2015) 4-D evolution of anticlines and implications for hydrocarbon exploration within the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt, Kurdistan Region. Iraq GeoArabia 20(1):161–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Zoback MD (2007) Reservoir geomechanics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, p 449

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Earthquake datasets for this research freely available on-line at the catalogue website of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Earthquake Hazards Program (www.earthquake.usgs.gov), the European–Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) (www.emsc-csem.org), the International Seismological Centre (ISC) in the UK (www.isc.ac.uk), the Harvard Global Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) Project (www.globalcmt.org), the National Seismic Network of Turkey (DDA) (www.fdsn.org), and the Turkish BOUN KOERI Regional Earthquake (BKRE)—Tsunami Monitoring Centre (TMC) (www.koeri.boun.edu.tr). The Windows version (5.8.9) of the Tensor program (Win-Tensor) was used in this research to calculate the present-day tectonic stresses. This free and opeN-Source software (http://damiendelvaux.be/Tensor/WinTensor/win-tensor.html) was developed by Delvaux D, Sperner B (2003) New aspects of tectonic stress inversion with reference to the TENSOR program. In: Nieuwland DA (ed.) New insights into structural interpretation and modelling, Geological Society, London, Special Publications 212: 75–100.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical College of Engineering, Duhok Polytechnic University, Kurdistan Region, Duhok, Iraq

    Jamal A. H. Doski

Authors
  1. Jamal A. H. Doski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jamal A. H. Doski.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Doski, J.A.H. Active tectonics along the Sheladiz seismogenic fault in the Western Zagros fold-thrust belt, Kurdistan, Northern Iraq. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 110, 595–608 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-020-01973-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-020-01973-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation