Recent tectonics of East (Iranian) Azerbaijan from stress state reconstructions

The stress inversion analysis and separation of stress tensors performed in this study indicate that the region is characterized by N-S to NE-SW (N018°) thrusting compression and NW-SE (N287° and N155°) strike-slip compression. The first stress system was responsible for the development of the three fold and thrust belts, while the second system formed the N-S striking structures, such as those in the Talesh, Salavat, Moro and Kiamaki Ranges. The stress reconstructions indicate that E-Azerbaijan is colliding with the South Caspian Basin and the Lesser Caucasus in the NE and N due to the compressive stress (S2) and with the Central Iranian Block and western Alborz in the southeast and east, respectively, due to the strike-slip stress mode (S3 and S1, respectively).