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

International audienceIranian (East) Azerbaijan (E-Azerbaijan), in northwestern Iran, is characterized by relatively complex active tectonics. The area is shaped like a lozenge and is bordered by strike-slip faults. This region includes three fold and thrust belts, the Arasbaran, Ghoshe Dagh and Bozkosh mountain ranges, and includes a set of N-S trending compressive thrusts and folds and a set of E-Wtrending compressive structures. The stress inversion analysis and separation of stress tensors performed in this study indicate that the region is characterized by N-S toNE-SW(N018°) thrusting compression andNW-SE (N287° and N155°) strike-slip compression. The first stress systemwas responsible for the development of the three fold and thrust belts,while the second systemformed 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)