Search

The Zagros orogenic belt, known as an active fold-thrust belt, was formed in southwestern Iran due to the convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. In this study, potential field data are inverted in 3D to image the variations of magnetic susceptibility and density contrast along the collision zone, resulting in better tectonic understanding of the studied region. Geophysical data measured by airborne magnetic and ground-based gravity systems are used to construct an integrated model that facilitates the interpretations of various tectonic zones across a 450-km line. This line intersects the main structural units from the SW portion of the Zagros belt. The constructed model reveals a contrast that indicates the transition between the two continental plates coinciding with the western boundaries of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ) at the Main Zagros Thrust (MZT) fault. The subduction of the Arabian continental crust below the Iranian one is evident because of its lower susceptibility property and alternating sequence of high and low density regions. Higher susceptibility, magnetic remanence and density are the mainstays of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Assemblage (UDMA) zone at the NE of the studied route, whereas lower values of these properties correspond to (1) the thin massive Tertiary-Neogene and Quaternary sediments of the central domain (CD) zone, and (2) the thick sedimentary and salt intrusion cover over the Zagros Fold-and-Thrust belt (ZFTB). Higher density of regions in the Arabian crust below the ZFTB implies that fault activities have caused significant vertical displacement of the basement. Finally, a simplified geological model is presented based upon the inversions of the geophysical data, in which the main geological units are divided along the studied route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convergence between the Eurasian and Arabian plates formed the Zagros orogenic belt between Late Cretaceous and Pliocene as a relatively young and active fold-thrust belt in Iran. The structural geology along Ahvaz to Isfahan route across Zagros is investigated employing magnetic data in order to determine the crustal structure in the collision zone of the two Palaeo-continents. Airborne magnetometry data with a line space of survey of 7.5 km have been used to image the variations of the apparent magnetic susceptibility along this route. At first the airborne data were stably 500-m downward continued to the ground surface in order to enhance subtle changes of the Earth's magnetic field. Then 3D inverse modeling of magnetic data was implemented, while the cross section of the magnetic susceptibility variations along the route was mapped down to a depth of 100 km. The acquired magnetic susceptibility model could appropriately predict the observed magnetic data as well. In addition, the analytic signal filter was applied to the reduced-to-pole magnetic data leading to the determination of active faults in Zagros fold-thrust belt (ZFTB) structural zone based upon the generated peaks. Some probable locations of fault events were also suggested in Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ). The locations of faults correspond well to the magnetic susceptibility variations on the inverted section. Probable direction, slope and depth extension of these faults were also plotted on the magnetic susceptibility model, showing an intensively tectonized zone of the SSZ. The main difference between two domains is that the Eurasian plate seems to contain high magnetic susceptible materials compared to the Arabian plate. The recovered model of the apparent magnetic susceptibility values indicated that the average thickness of the non-magnetic sedimentary units is about 11 km and the Curie depth locates approximately at depth of 24 km for the whole studied area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the structural geology and the tectonic conditions of the Zagros orogeny along the route of Qom to Kermanshah cities were investigated using the combined geophysical methods of the airborne magnetometry and the ground-based gravity data. Airborne magnetometry data of Iran with a line space of survey, 7.5 km, were used to model the magnetic susceptibility property along the route. At first, the airborne magnetic data were stably 500-m downward continued to the ground surface in order to enhance minor changes of the Earth’s magnetic field over the studied region. Afterward, 3D inverse modeling of the magnetic data was implemented to the downward continued data, and subsequently the section of magnetic susceptibility variation along the desired route was extracted and imaged at depth. The acquired model could appropriately predict the observed magnetic data, showing low misfit values between the observation and the predicted data. The analytic signal filter was applied to the reduced-to-pole (RTP) magnetic data leading to the determination of the active and probable hidden faults in the structural zones of the Zagros, such as Sanandaj-Sirjan, Central Domain (CD) and Urumieh-Dokhtar based upon the generated peaks along the profile of analytic signal filter. In addition, the density variations of the subsurface geological layers were determined by 3D inverting of the ground-based gravity data over the whole study area, and extracting this property along the route. The joint models of magnetic susceptibility and density variation could appropriately localize the traces of faults along with the geologically and tectonically structural boundaries in the region. The locations of faults correspond well to the variation of geophysical parameters on the inverted sections. Probable direction, slope and extension at depth of these faults were also determined on the sections, indicating a high tectonized zone of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ) parallel to the zone of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Assemblage (UDMA). The UDMA zone increases the magnetic and the Bouguer anomalies by intruding into the CD zone as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]