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Preliminary fault analysis and paleostress evolution in the Makran Fold-and-Thrust Belt in Iran

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Book cover Lithosphere Dynamics and Sedimentary Basins: The Arabian Plate and Analogues

Part of the book series: Frontiers in Earth Sciences ((FRONTIERS))

Abstract

We describe fault structures and the kinematic analysis of striated planes measured in the central part of the fold-and-thrust-belt of Makran, in Iran. Field observation documents the importance of E-W thrust faulting associated with E-W buckle folding, which is consistent with the main shortening direction expected in the study area, the convergence zone between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. Two main paleostress tensor directions are distinguished from the analysis of fault populations found in Cretaceous to Pliocene-Pleistocene rocks: the dominant NNE-SSW compression to transpression and localized extension. The compression-transpression regimes are obtained all over Makran, the Coastal area excepted, where exposures of young sedimentary rocks where faulted by normal faults. A comparison between the fault plane analysis and the active stress field obtained from focal mechanisms shows consistent compresssion directions since at least the Middle Miocene.

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Acknowledgements

The Swiss National Fond supported this work (project 2-77 634-05). Financial contribution and support from the MEBE program and the Geological Survey of Iran are also acknowledged. Sincere thanks are extended to the many people who hosted and helped us in the remote places of the Makran. We are indebted to B. Celerier for guidance on the inversion program and to D. Bernoulli and J. Smit for useful discussions in the field. Reviews by D. Frizon de Lamotte and O. Lacombe helped to significantly improve our presentation. We thank the editor, F. Roure, for his useful comments and for offering the opportunity to publish these results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ETH and University Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    A. Dolati & J.-P Burg

  2. Geological Survey Iran, Meraj Street, Azadi Square, 13185-1494, Tehran, Iran

    A. Dolati

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  1. A. Dolati
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  2. J.-P Burg
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Correspondence to A. Dolati .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Geology and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Energy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Khalid Al Hosani

  2. Géologie-Géochimie-Géophysique, IFP Energies Nouvelles, Rueil-Malmaison, France

    Francois Roure

  3. ritish Geological Survey (BGS), Kingsley Dunham Centre, Nottingham, UK

    Richard Ellison

  4. Earth Sciences, Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Stephen Lokier

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Dolati, A., Burg, JP. (2013). Preliminary fault analysis and paleostress evolution in the Makran Fold-and-Thrust Belt in Iran. In: Al Hosani, K., Roure, F., Ellison, R., Lokier, S. (eds) Lithosphere Dynamics and Sedimentary Basins: The Arabian Plate and Analogues. Frontiers in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-30609-9_13

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