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Oligocene uplift of the Western Greater Caucasus: an effect of initial Arabia–Eurasia collision

Oligocene uplift of the Western Greater Caucasus: an effect of initial Arabia–Eurasia collision
Oligocene uplift of the Western Greater Caucasus: an effect of initial Arabia–Eurasia collision
The Greater Caucasus is Europe's largest mountain belt. Significant uncertainties remain over the evolution of the range, largely due to a lack of primary field data. This work demonstrates that depositional systems within the Oligocene–Early Miocene Maykop Series on either side of the Western Greater Caucasus (WGC) display a similar provenance and divergent palaeocurrents away from the range, constraining a minimum age for the subaerial uplift of the range as early Early Oligocene. An Eocene–Oligocene hiatus, basal Oligocene olistostromes and a marked increase in nannofossil reworking also point to initial deformation in the earliest Oligocene. The initial uplift of the WGC occurred during the final assembly of the Tethysides to its south. Uplift commenced after the Late Eocene final suturing of northern Neotethys and during the initial collision of Arabia with the southern accreted margin of Eurasia. This suggests that compressional deformation was rapidly transferred across the collision zone from the indenting Arabian plate to its northern margin.

160-166
Vincent, S.J.
ff394ce5-e67b-43a6-ba5c-b17bf610365f
Morton, A.C.
824b3e37-ceab-4896-b2c7-5e6ab8165659
Carter, A.
1a293225-653d-4412-b832-46ea1b5e9a85
Gibbs, S.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
Barabadze, T.G.
9f3b6980-5a44-494b-b1e9-abca5d19d83f
Vincent, S.J.
ff394ce5-e67b-43a6-ba5c-b17bf610365f
Morton, A.C.
824b3e37-ceab-4896-b2c7-5e6ab8165659
Carter, A.
1a293225-653d-4412-b832-46ea1b5e9a85
Gibbs, S.
82dfbcbc-3a8a-40da-8a80-fe7ad83f3110
Barabadze, T.G.
9f3b6980-5a44-494b-b1e9-abca5d19d83f

Vincent, S.J., Morton, A.C., Carter, A., Gibbs, S. and Barabadze, T.G. (2007) Oligocene uplift of the Western Greater Caucasus: an effect of initial Arabia–Eurasia collision. Terra Nova, 19 (2), 160-166. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-3121.2007.00731.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Greater Caucasus is Europe's largest mountain belt. Significant uncertainties remain over the evolution of the range, largely due to a lack of primary field data. This work demonstrates that depositional systems within the Oligocene–Early Miocene Maykop Series on either side of the Western Greater Caucasus (WGC) display a similar provenance and divergent palaeocurrents away from the range, constraining a minimum age for the subaerial uplift of the range as early Early Oligocene. An Eocene–Oligocene hiatus, basal Oligocene olistostromes and a marked increase in nannofossil reworking also point to initial deformation in the earliest Oligocene. The initial uplift of the WGC occurred during the final assembly of the Tethysides to its south. Uplift commenced after the Late Eocene final suturing of northern Neotethys and during the initial collision of Arabia with the southern accreted margin of Eurasia. This suggests that compressional deformation was rapidly transferred across the collision zone from the indenting Arabian plate to its northern margin.

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Published date: April 2007

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49895
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49895
PURE UUID: b0969c9e-9b2d-4e31-bb66-ddb0a69dfb74

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Date deposited: 11 Dec 2007
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:00

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Contributors

Author: S.J. Vincent
Author: A.C. Morton
Author: A. Carter
Author: S. Gibbs
Author: T.G. Barabadze

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