Skip to main content
Log in

Kinematic and dynamic analysis of North-Tehran tectonic wedge formed in south central Alborz, Iran

  • Published:
Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

To answer the question “Whether the North-Tehran tectonic wedge is a dynamic tectonic wedge or not?” we applied paleostress techniques to investigate fault slip data. The mean reduced stress tensor is defined for all stabilized stress regions. Unscaled Mohr’s circles drawn for fault slip data were used to obtain the relative slip tendency of clusters on diagrams. It showed that the slip tendency in the vicinity of fault junction is much lower than expected. The meanσ1 defined for a combination of fault slip data trends N14°E nearly parallel with the overall pressure in Iranian crust at the latitude of Central Alborz. This trend suggests the least effect of boundary faults and the wedge between them on stress orientations inside the wedge. Finally, the stress trajectory map was prepared showing the configuration and relative intensity of σ1. The map did not illustrate any convergence in σ1 trajectories and the consequent concentration of stress and seismic potential in fault junction. That is a direct evidence for disagreeing the dynamicity of this tectonic wedge.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abbassi, M.R. and Farbod, Y. (2009) Faulting and folding in quaternary deposits of Tehran’s piedmont (Iran). Jour. Asian Earth Sci., v.34, pp.522–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alavi, M. (1996) Tectonostratigraphic Synthesis and Structural Style of the Alborz Mountain System in Northern Iran. Geodynamics 21,N1, 1–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, M.B., Ghassemi, M.R., Shahrabi, M. and Qorashi, M. (2003) Accommodation of Late Cenozoic oblique shortening in the Alborz range. Northern Iran. Jour. Struc. Geol., v.25, pp.659–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E.M. (1951) The dynamic of faulting and dyke formation with application to Britain. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Assereto, R. (1966) Explanatory Notes on the Geological Map of Upper Djadjerud and Lar Valleys (Central Elburz, Iran)(Scale 1:50000). Inst. Geol., University of Milan, Milan, p.86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berberian, M. and Yeats, R.S. (1999) Patterns of historical earthquake rupture in the Iranian Plateau. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Amer., v.89, pp.120–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, A.W. (1966) The strength of soils as engineering materials. Geotechnique, v.16, pp.91–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eliassi, M. and Ahmadian, S. (2006) Geometrical configuration of Sigma1 stress trajectories in Karaj-Kan area (south-central Alborz), based on Multiple Inversion Method. Scientific Quarterly Journal of Geosciences 67, 140–149 (in Persian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Guest, B., Axen, G.J., Lam, P. S. and Hassanzadeh, J. (2006) Late Cenozoic shortening in the west-central Alborz Mountains, northern Iran, by combined conjugate strike-slip and thin-skinned deformation. Geosphere, v.2, pp.35–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landgraf, A., Ballato, P., Strecker, M.R., Friedrich, A., Tabatabaei, S.H. and Shahpasandzadeh, M. (2009) Fault-kinematic and geomorphic observations along the North Tehran Thrust and Mosha-Fasham Fault, Alborz mountains Iran: implications for fault-system evolution and interaction in a changing tectonic regime. Geophys. Jour. Internat., v.177, pp.676–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, A., Ferrill, D.A. and Henderson, D.B. (1996) Slip-tendency analysis and fault reactivation. Geol., v.24, pp.275–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nazari, H. (2006) Analyse de la tectonique recente et active dans l’Alborz Central et la region de Teheran: Approche morphotectonique et paleoseismologique. Science de la terre et de l’eau. Montpellier, Montpellier II, p.247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemcok, M. and Lisle, R.J. (1995) A stress inversion procedure for polyphase fault/slip data sets. Jour. Struc. Geol., v.17, pp.1445–1453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajabi, S., Eliassi, M. and Saidi, A. (2011) Statistic and genetic investigation of faults in North Tehran tectonic wedge (South Central Alborz). Arabian Jour. Geosci, DOI: 10.1007/s12517-010-0270-7.

  • Ramsay, J.G. and Lisle, R. (2000) The techniques of modern structural geology, V.3. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritz, J-F., Nazari, H., Ghassemi, A., Salamati, R., Shafei, A., Soleymani, S. and Vernant, P. (2006) Active transtension inside central Alborz: A new insight into northern Iran-southern Caspian geodynamics. Geology, v.34, pp.477–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieben, H. (1955) The geology of Tehran plains. Amer. Jour. Sci., v.253, pp.617–639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saidi, A., Brunet, M.-F. and Ricou, L.-E. (1997) Continental accretion of the Iran Block to Eurasia as seen from Late Paleozoic to Early Cretaceous subsidence curves. Geodinamica Acta, v.10, pp.189–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahidi, A. (2008) Evolution tectonique du Nord de L’Iran (Alborz et Kopet-Dagh) depuis le Mésozoïque. Thèse, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), p.500.

  • Tchalenko, J.S. (1975) Seismotectonic framework of the North Tehran Fault. Tectonophysics, v.29, pp.411–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vernant, Ph., Nilforoushan, F., Chery, J., Bayer, R., Djamour, Y., Masson, F., Nankali, H., Ritz, J-F., Sedighi, M. and Tavakoli, F. (2004) Deciphering oblique shortening of central Alborz in Iran using geodetic data. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., v.223, pp.177–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamaji, A. (2003) Are the solution of stress inversion correct? Visualization of their reliability and the separation of stress from heterogeneous fault-slip data. Jour. Struc. Geol., v.25, pp.241–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zalohar, J. and Vrabec, M. (2007) Paleostress analysis of heterogeneous fault-slip data: The Gauss method. Jour. Struc. Geol., v.29, pp.1798–1810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zanchi, A., Berra, F., Mattei, M., Ghassemi, M.R. and Sabouri, J. (2006) Inversion Tectonics in Central Alborz, Iran. Jour. Struc. Geol., v.28, pp.2023–2037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sareh Rajabi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rajabi, S., Eliassi, M. Kinematic and dynamic analysis of North-Tehran tectonic wedge formed in south central Alborz, Iran. J Geol Soc India 80, 731–737 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-012-0199-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-012-0199-4

Keywords

Navigation