TYPIZATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL NEOTECTONIC STRUCTURES IN THE RUSSIAN PART OF THE GREATER CAUCASUS OROGENIC MEGAVAULT

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Abstract

A unified small-scale neotectonic zoning of the Greater Caucasus was performed in the middle of the last century. Since then and up to the present time, more detailed medium-scale, and in some places large-scale neotectonic zoning has been carried out in separate isolated territories. At the same time, it was carried out with different goals and using different types of methodological approaches. Therefore, until now it has been impossible to obtain a holistic view on the distribution of different types of neotectonic structures by the territory of the entire or a significant part of the Greater Caucasus. Carrying out a detailed neotectonic zoning of the Russian part of the Greater Caucasus megavault using the orotectonic method permitted us to identify the diversity and unevenness of the distribution of local folded, block and fault structures in this area. Block structures and faults are shown to predominate almost everywhere. The complexity of the spatial combination and mutual allocation of local structures has determined the need to identify a number of their specific types along with traditional structural forms. A specific structure of some megavault segments is identified. Such unevenness, above all, can be expressed by statistical accounting of the number and percentage of each type of local structures. The maximum prevalence of faults and block structures reflects the uplift of the relatively "rigid" pre-modern basement in the Central segment, and more abundant thrusts and upthrusts are due to more plastic hard rock base in the narrowed Kazbek segment. The marginal Western and Eastern segments are specified by more numerous folds. The obtained data can be used in compiling schemes of the origin and development history of the newest megavault of the Greater Caucasus.

About the authors

S. A. Nesmeyanov

Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: voa49@mail.ru
Moscow, Russia

O. A. Voeikova

Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: voa49@mail.ru
Moscow, Russia

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