Abstract
We collected materials on geological indicators of paleostresses at the western pericline of the Greater Caucasus mega-anticlinorium and within the large transverse flexure-fault zone (Anapa and Dzhiginka zones) limiting this mega-anticlinorium. Based on the data, we reconstructed local stress states in different tectonic zones. The reconstructed local stresses showed a considerable variation of the orientations axes of principal stress near the two zones. In a site adjacent to the flexure-fault zone and located near the western pericline of the Greater Caucasus mega-anticlinorium, the detachment systems of northeastern (NE–SW) strike are determined. Additionally, field structural studies proved elongation in the northwestern (NW–SE) direction. This was also verified by the reconstruction of orientations of minimum compression stress axes (maximum deviatory tension) implemented by cataclastic analysis of structural–kinematic information on the movements of the fault planes (tectonic cracks and minor ruptures). We found a well-expressed multistage regime of the northwestern (NW–SE) tension within the limits of the Semisam anticline. Tension deformations (along the axis of the main folded structure) are manifested in structures of different scales; the values of relative elongation are defined for some of them. At the western pericline of the Greater Caucasus mega-anticlinorium, in the Miocene deposits, a north–south (NNW) compression regime with steep inclinations of axes of maximum compression stresses was identified. In the boundary zone between the Northwestern Caucasus and transverse Kerch–Taman trough, an alteration of the orientations of main axes of normal stresses was found. These changes led to the replacement of horizontal-compression and horizontalshear (with a NE-oriented compression) settings, which are predominant in the Caucasus, with settings of horizontal tension (with steep NNW-oriented compression axes).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
A. P. Afanasenkov, A. M. Nikishin, and A. N. Obukhov, Geologic Structure and Hydrocarbon Potential of the East Black Sea Region (Nauchn. mir, Moscow, 2007) [in Russian].
Ch. B. Borukaev, “On palinspastic constructions,” Geotektonika, No. 6, 32–45 (1970).
V. A. Viginskii, Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Dissertation in Geology and Mineralogy (IFZ AN SSSR, Moscow, 1986).
T. V. Giorgobiani and D. P. Zakaraya, Folded Structure of Northwestern Caucasus and Mechanism of Its Formation (Metsniereba, Tbilisi, 1989) [in Russian].
O. I. Gushchenko, “Kinematic principle of reconstructing the principal stress directions (based on the geological and seismological data),” Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Geofiz. 225, 557–560 (1975).
A. L. Kozlov, “Coast of the Black Sea in the area of Sochi and lower stream of Mzymta River,” in Caucasus Excursion (Black Sea Coast). International Geological Congress, XVII Session (Moscow, 1937), pp. 26–44.
M. L. Kopp, “Structural patterns related to longitudinal movements within fold belts,” Geotektonika, No. 1, 21–36 (1991).
N. V. Koronovskii, L. A. Sim, and B. V. Boinagryan, “Neotectonic and contemporary fields of tectonic stresses in Caucasus with respect to seismicity,” Vestn. Mosk. Gos. Univ. Ser. 4. Geol., No. 2, 3–14 (1996).
Yu. G. Leonov, O. I. Gushchenko, M. L. Kopp, and L. M. Rastsvetaev, “Relationship between the Late Cenozoic stresses and deformations in the Caucasian sector of the Alpine Belt and its northern foreland,” Geotectonics 35, 30–50 (2001).
A. V. Marinin, “Tectonophysical studies of the Semisam Anticline (Northwestern Caucasus),” Geodin. Tektonofiz. 4, 461–484 (2013). doi: 10.5800/GT-2013–4-40113.
A. V. Marinin and L. M. Rastsvetaev, “Structural parageneses of Northwestern Caucasus,” in Problems of Tectonophysics: On the Fortieth Anniversary of Organizing the Laboratory of Tectonophysics in the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences (IFZ RAN, Moscow, 2008), pp. 191–224.
E. E. Milanovskii and V. E. Khain, Geologic Structure of Caucasus, Vol. 8 of Overview of Regional Geology of the USSR (Mosk. Gos. Univ., Moscow, 1963) [in Russian].
M. V. Muratov, “Overview of tectonics for the area in the vicinity of Chvizhepse mineral springs (southern slope of the Main Greater Caucasus Range),” Byull. Mosk. O-va. Ispyt. Prir., Otd. Geol. 18, No. 2, 3–36 (1940).
S. A. Nesmeyanov, Neostructural Zoning of Northwestern Caucasus (Nedra, Moscow, 1992) [in Russian].
A. M. Nikishin, A. V. Ershov, and V. A. Nikishin, “Geologic history of Western Caucasus and the adjacent foredeeps based on analysis of the regional balanced section,” Dokl. Earth Sci. 430, 155–157 (2010).
P. N. Nikolaev, A Method of Tectonodynamic Analysis, Ed. by N.I. Nikolaev (Nedra, Moscow, 1992) [in Russian].
D. N. Osokina, “On the hierarchical properties of tectonic field of stresses and deformations in the Earth’s crust,” in Fields of Stresses and Deformations in the Earth’s Crust,, Ed. by A. S. Grigor’ev and D. N. Osokina (Nauka, Moscow, 1987), pp. 136–151.
V. I. Popkov, “Postsedimentation character of development of intraplate dislocations as reflection of pulsed nature of deformation processes,” Geodin. Tektonofiz. 4, 327–339 (2013).
L. M. Rastsvetaev, “Mountain Crimea and Northern Black Sea region,” in Faults and Horizontal Movements of Mountain Structures in the USSR (Nauka, Moscow, 1977), pp. 95–113.
L. M. Rastsvetaev, “Paragenetic method of structural analysis of tectonic faults,” in Problems of Structural Geology and Tectonophysics (GIN AN SSSR, Moscow, 1987), Vol. 2, pp. 173–235 [in Russian].
L. M. Rastsvetaev, S. G. Korsakov, T. Yu. Tveritinova, I. N. Semenukha, and A. V. Marinin, “On some general features of structure and tectodynamics of Northwestern Caucasus,” in Problems of Geology, Mineral Resources and Environment in South Russia and Caucasus (Novocherkassk, 1999), Vol. 1, pp. 69–73.
L. M. Rastsvetaev, A. V. Marinin, and T. Yu. Tveritinova, “Late-Alpine fault systems and geodynamics of the West Caucasus,” Izv., Phys. Solid Earth 46, 394–403 (2010).
Yu. L. Rebetsky, Tectonic Stresses and Rigidity of Rock Massifs (Nauka, Moscow, 2007) [in Russian].
V. A. Serezhenko and P. P. Kuzubov, Geological Map of the USSR, 1: 200 000. Caucasian Series. Sheet L-37XXVI/XXXII (Nedra, Moscow, 1971).
L. A. Sim, “A study of tectonic stresses by geological indicators (mehtods, results, recommendations),” Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Geol. Razved., No. 10, 3–22 (1991).
L. A. Sim, “Influence of global tectogenesis on neotectonic stress state of the European cratons,” in M.V. Gzovskii and Development of Tectonophysics (Nauka, Moscow, 2000), pp. 326–350.
V. E. Khain, S. L. Afanas’ev, I. B. Borukaev, and M. G. Lomize, “The main features of structural-facial zonality and tectonic history of Northwestern Caucasus,” in Geology of the Central and Western Caucasus (Gostoptekhizdat, Moscow, 1962), Vol. 3, pp. 5–47.
A. N. Shardanov, “Tectonic structure of Northwestern Caucasus,” Tr. Krasnodar. Fil. VNIIneft’, No. 3, 6–42 (1960).
T. A. Shardanova and N. A. Solov’eva, “Influence of neotectonics and eustatic variations on formation of the Sarmatian, Maeotian, and Pontic deposits in the Taman Peninsula,” Vestn. Mosk. Gos. Univ. Ser. 4. Geol., No. 5, 36–43 (2006).
A. P. Shcheglov and V. A. Chekunov, “Late orogenic stage in the tectonic evolution of the southern slope of Northwestern Caucasus (between Gelendzhik town and Abrau settlement),” in Mechanisms of StructureFormation in the Lithosphere with Respect to Seismicity. Abstr. All-Union Symp. (IFZ AN SSSR, Moscow, 1991), pp. 78–79.
F. L. Yakovlev, “The first version of 3D model of the sedimentary cover structure in Northwestern Caucasus based on the field of folded deformations,” in Problems of Tectonophysics: On the Fortieth Anniversary of Organizing the Laboratory of Tectonophysics in the Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences (IFZ RAN, Moscow, 2008), pp. 335–345.
F. L. Yakovlev, “Tectonophysical methods of studying the structures of linear folding,” Modern Tectonophysics. Methods and results. Proceedings of the First Workshop for Young Scientists (IFZ RAN, Moscow, 2009), pp. 318–347.
J. Angelier, “Determination of mean principal directions of stresses for a given fault population,” Tectonophysics 56, 17–26 (1979).
A. V. Marinin and A. Saintot, “Comparison of methods to reconstruct paleostress regimes in the NW-Greater Caucasus fold-and-thrust belt,” C. R. Geosci. 344, 181–190 (2012).
A. Saintot and J. Angelier, “Tectonic paleostress fields and structural evolution of the NW-Caucasus foldand-thrust belt from Late Cretaceous to Quaternary,” Tectonophysics 57, 1–31 (2002). doi: 10.1016/j.crte.2012.01.004
M5.5 southwestern Russia earthquake’s Centroid Moment Tensor, US Geological Survey. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usp000bh4m#scientific_tensor:us_gcmt20021109021811
Data on 10 earthquakes recorded by the Emergency Report Service, Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences. www.ceme.gsras.ru/cgi-bin/info_quake.pl?mode=1&id=200
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © A.V. Marinin, L.A. Sim, 2015, published in Geotektonika, 2015, No. 5, pp. 62–77.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marinin, A.V., Sim, L.A. The contemporary state of stress and strain at the western pericline of the Greater Caucasus. Geotecton. 49, 411–424 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016852115040068
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016852115040068