Present‐day crustal deformation and plate kinematics in the Middle East constrained by GPS measurements in Iran and northern Oman
P. Vernant,F. Nilforoushan,Denis Hatzfeld,M. R. Abbassi,Christophe Vigny,Frédéric Masson,Hamid Reza Nankali,Joseph Martinod,A. Ashtiani,Roger Bayer,F. Tavakoli,Jean Chéry +11 more
TLDR
A network of 27 GPS sites was implemented in Iran and northern Oman to measure displacements in this part of the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt as mentioned in this paper, and the results of two surveys performed in 1999 September and 2001 October.Abstract:
SUMMARY A network of 27 GPS sites was implemented in Iran and northern Oman to measure displacements in this part of the Alpine‐Himalayan mountain belt. We present and interpret the results of two surveys performed in 1999 September and 2001 October. GPS sites in Oman show northward motion of the Arabian Plate relative to Eurasia slower than the NUVEL-1A estimates (e.g. 22 ± 2m m yr −1 at N8 ◦ ± 5 ◦ E instead of 30.5 mm yr −1 at N6 ◦ E at Bahrain longitude). We define a GPS Arabia‐Eurasia Euler vector of 27.9 ◦ ± 0.5 ◦ N, 19.5 ◦ ± 1.4 ◦ E, 0.41 ◦ ± 0.1 ◦ Myr −1 . The Arabia‐Eurasia convergence is accommodated differently in eastern and western Iran. East of 58 ◦ E, most of the shortening is accommodated by the Makran subduction zone (19.5 ± 2m m yr −1 ) and less by the Kopet-Dag (6.5 ± 2m m yr −1 ). West of 58 ◦ E, the deformation is distributed in separate fold and thrust belts. At the longitude of Tehran, the Zagros and the Alborz mountain ranges accommodate 6.5 ± 2m m yr −1 and 8 ± 2m m yr −1 respectively. The right-lateral displacement along the Main Recent Fault in the northern Zagros is about 3 ± 2m m yr −1 , smaller than what was generally expected. By contrast, large rightlateral displacement takes place in northwestern Iran (up to 8 ± mm yr −1 ). The Central Iranian Block is characterized by coherent plate motion (internal deformation < 2m m yr −1 ). Sites east of 61 ◦ E show very low displacements relative to Eurasia. The kinematic contrast between eastern and western Iran is accommodated by strike-slip motions along the Lut Block. To the south, the transition zone between Zagros and Makran is under transpression with right-lateral displacements of 11 ± 2m m yr −1 .read more
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GPS constraints on continental deformation in the Africa-Arabia-Eurasia continental collision zone and implications for the dynamics of plate interactions
Robert Reilinger,Simon McClusky,Philippe Vernant,Shawn Lawrence,Shawn Lawrence,Semih Ergintav,R. Cakmak,Haluk Ozener,Fakhraddin Kadirov,Ibrahim Guliev,Ruben Stepanyan,Merab Nadariya,Galaktion Hahubia,Salah Mahmoud,K. Sakr,Abdullah ArRajehi,Demitris Paradissis,A. Al-Aydrus,Mikhail Prilepin,Tamara Guseva,Emre Evren,Emre Evren,Andriy Dmitrotsa,S. V. Filikov,Francisco Gomez,R. Al-Ghazzi,Gebran N. Karam +26 more
TL;DR: In this article, an elastic block model was developed to constrain present-day plate motions (relative Euler vectors), regional deformation within the interplate zone, and slip rates for major faults.
Journal ArticleDOI
Convergence history across Zagros (Iran): constraints from collisional and earlier deformation
TL;DR: In this paper, the main Zagros orogen is shown to be deeply rooted, possibly to Moho depths, and the suture zone effectively runs along the MZT.
Journal ArticleDOI
Zagros orogeny: a subduction-dominated process
Philippe Agard,Jafar Omrani,Laurent Jolivet,Hubert Whitechurch,Bruno Vrielynck,Wim Spakman,Patrick Monié,Bertrand Meyer,Rinus Wortel +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a synthetic view of the geodynamic evolution of the Zagros orogen within the frame of the Arabia-Eurasia collision, and provided lithospheric-scale reconstructions of the zagros Orogen from ~ 150 to 0 Ma across two SW-NE transects.
Journal ArticleDOI
A geodetic plate motion and Global Strain Rate Model
TL;DR: The Global Strain Rate Model (GSRM v.2.1) as mentioned in this paper is a new global model of plate motions and strain rates in plate boundary zones constrained by horizontal geodetic velocities.
Journal ArticleDOI
Building the Zagros collisional orogen: Timing, strain distribution and the dynamics of Arabia/Eurasia plate convergence
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that only 42% of the post-35 Ma convergence is partitioned by shortening within central Iran, and the current subduction dynamics can be explained by the original lateral difference in the buoyancy of the distal margin.
References
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