Brittle tectonic reconstruction of palaeo-extension inherited from Mesozoic rifting in West Zagros (Kermanshah, Iran)

A north–south palaeo-extension regime, inherited from Triassic–Jurassic rifting of the Neo-Tethyan passive margin, has been reconstructed for West Zagros (Kermanshah, Iran) using brittle tectonic analysis. The study reveals that east–west-trending normal faults, linked to Mesozoic rifting, dominated the extensional history of the region throughout its syn- and post-rift evolution. This pattern mirrors modern passive margins like those of the British Isles. Earthquake focal mechanisms further support an oblique crustal stretching model for the rifting process, providing insights into the tectonic inheritance shaping the current Zagros mountain belt.

Navabpour, P., Angelier, J., & Barrier, E. (2011). Brittle tectonic reconstruction of palaeo-extension inherited from Mesozoic rifting in West Zagros (Kermanshah, Iran). Journal of the Geological Society, 168(4), 979–994. https://doi.org/10.1144/0016-76492010-108