M. Alania Victor¹, Onise V. Enukidze¹, Kakha P. Koiava¹

(1) Institute of Geology, Georgian Academy of Sciences, Tbilisi, Georgia

ABSTRACT: Serial Balanced Cross-Sections through Frontal Part of the Trialeti Ridge and Kartli Foreland Basin, South-East Georgia

Our study area located south of eastern Georgia. We present seven balanced cross-sections. The balanced cross- sections have been constrained by the detailed surface data, oil well data and seismic reflection profiles.

Section balancing shows that frontal part of the Trialeti Ridge is a thin skinned thrust and fold belt of Miocene to Pleistocene age that deforms Cretaceous-Tertiary strata of the Achara-Trialeti back-arc basin.

The structure of the Trialeti Ridge is interpreted as due to the northward trusting of basement wedge.The structure includes fault-propagation fold, duplex and triangle zone.

In the frontal part of the Trialeti Ridge, two different thrust systems have been found: an upper thrust sheet and lower duplex. Upper thrust sheet exhibits an out-of-sequence thrust, which occurred when a fault-propagation fold, passively transported upon an upper flat. The lower duplex sequence consists of Oligocene-lower Miocene strata that have been formed by passive-roof duplex style of deformation. Southern part of Kartli forelend basin represent of Tertiary strata that have been deformed and uplifted by passive back thrusting at the triangle zone.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado