Subductions, obduction and collision in the Lesser Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), new insights
- Sosson, M. Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, OCA-UMR, Valbonne, France
- Rolland, Y. Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, OCA-UMR, Valbonne, France
- Müller, C. Rueil Malmaison, France
- Danelian, T. Université de Lille, Laboratoire Géosystèmes, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
- Melkonyan, R. Institute of Geological Sciences, Armenian Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia
- Kekelia, S. Institute of Geology, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Adamia, S. Institute of Geophysics, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Babazadeh, V. University of Baku, Baku, Azerbaijan
- Kangarli, Talat Geological Institute of Azerbaijan, Geotectonics and Geodynamics, Baku Azerbaijan
- Avagyan, A. Institute of Geological Sciences, Armenian Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia
- Galoyan, G. Institute of Geological Sciences, Armenian Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia
- Mosar, Jon University of Fribourg, Earth Sciences, Switzerland
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2010
Published in:
- Geological Society, London, Special Publications. - 2010, vol. 340, p. 329-352
English
In the Lesser Caucasus three main domains are distinguished from SW to NE: (1) the autochthonous South Armenian Block (SAB), a Gondwana-derived terrane; (2) the ophiolitic Sevan–Akera suture zone; and (3) the Eurasian plate. Based on our field work, new stratigraphical, petrological, geochemical and geochronological data combined with previous data we present new insights on the subduction, obduction and collision processes recorded in the Lesser Caucasus. Two subductions are clearly identified, one related to the Neotethys subduction beneath the Eurasian margin and one intra-oceanic (SSZ) responsible for the opening of a back-arc basin which corresponds to the ophiolites of the Lesser Caucasus. The obduction occurred during the Late Coniacian to Santonian and is responsible for the widespread ophiolitic nappe outcrop in front of the suture zone. Following the subduction of oceanic lithosphere remnants under Eurasia, the collision of the SAB with Eurasia started during the Paleocene, producing 1) folding of ophiolites, arc and Upper Cretaceous formations (Transcaucasus massif to Karabakh); 2) thrusting toward SW; and 3) a foreland basin in front of the belt. Upper–Middle Eocene series unconformably cover the three domains. From Eocene to Miocene as a result of the Arabian plate collision with the SAB to the South, southward propagation of shortening featured by folding and thrusting occurred all along the belt. These deformations are sealed by a thick sequence of unconformable Miocene to Quaternary clastic and volcanic rocks of debated origin.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Département de Géosciences
- Language
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- English
- Classification
- Geology
- License
- License undefined
- Identifiers
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- RERO DOC 21104
- DOI 10.1144/SP340.14
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/301825
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