Geodynamics of the South Caspian Basin from New Field Studies in North-Central Iran and Azerbaijan

M.-F.Brunet¹ and MEBE South Caspian Working Group^2
1CNRS-Univ. P. & M. Curie, 75252 Paris cedex 05, France
² N/A, N/A,

We present the results obtained in the frame of the Middle East Basins Evolution Programme from new field studies in Alborz-Kopet Dagh (Northern Iran), in Central Iran and in Eastern Caucasus in Azerbaijan. They were performed by interdisciplinary groups from twelve academic institutions in Europe, Iran and Azerbaijan.
Structural, geophysical, sedimentological, stratigraphical, palaeontological and subsidence analyses are used to decipher the complex tectono-sedimentary scenario on the geodynamics of the basins of the South Caspian Central Iran area since Palaeozoic to Present. We focused especially on the Mesozoic period to recognize the first events of the South Caspian Basin evolution. Extensional events associated with the rifting of the basins and oceanic opening of the South Caspian were intercalated by compressional events (Eo- Mid and Late Cimmerian events) associated among else with successive docking of Gondwanian blocks to Eurasia.
The closure of the Paleo-Tethys during Late Triassic was associated with the Eo-Cimmerian orogeny, marked by a regional unconformity associated with a drastic change in sedimentation from a carbonate platform to the deposition of the Shemshak formation (late Triassic to lower Bajocian with up to 4 km of siliciclastic deposits). The Lower Jurassic tectonic subsidence in Northern Iran is related to the rifting phase of the South Caspian Basin followed by a Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous oceanic opening.
From late Eocene to Present developed the Arabia-Eurasia collision resulting in the last inversion of the South Caspian margins now included in the surrounding mountain belts.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece