Structural architecture of the western greater caucasus orogen: New data from a crustal-scale structural cross-section

A new, crustal-scale structural model aimed at illustrating the recent geometry of the western Greater Caucasus, has been built based on surface and subsurface data, in agreement with the theory of fault-related folds. The crustal-scale, structural cross-section shows that the western Greater Caucasus has a double vergence with a pro- and a retro-wedge actively propagating towards the Rioni foreland basins to the south and the Terek basin to the north. The retro-wedge and the Terek foreland basin developed on the upper plate, whereas the pro-wedge and the Rioni foreland basin developed on the lower, subducting plate. The formation of an antiformal stack in the axial zone of the western Greater Caucasus is related to reactivation of pre-existing normal faults during the orogeny. The main style of deformation within the pro-and retro-wedge is a series of fault-propagation and fault-bend folds, duplexes and structural wedges. Within the frontal part of the pro-and retro-wedge, a series of thrust-top basins developed.