Paleostress analysis from brittle failure and minor structures in Dokan Area, Kurdistan Region, NE of Iraq .

Volume 18 , Issue 2 , February 2016 , Pages 283-310

Authors

¹ Department of Geology, University of Sulaimani

The study area is located within the high folded of the northwestern segment of the

Zagros Foreland Fold Thrust Belt in northeast of Iraq. Joints, mesofaults, veins and

stylolites were studied through seven stations in the Kosrat Anticline. The trend of

the fold and the strike of the strata are of NW-SE direction in accordance with the

main trend of Zagros folds.

New geological map and cross section of the study area were constructed. The

exposed rocks of the studied area range in age from Cretaceous up to the Eocene

included the following formations (Qamchuqa, Kometan, Shiranish, Tanjero,

Kolosh and Sinjar) Kometan and Tanjero formations was taken in consideration for

brittle failure analysis . The analyzed structural field data indicate that the

investigated area was subjected throughout its geological history to four stress

phases. First is primary compressive tectonic phase in the directions N-S, NE-SW

and successive phase in the direction ENE-WSW. The second compressive

tectonic stress in the direction NW-SE considered as a secondary phase. Third was

extension tectonic phase in the direction NE-SW which developed during the final

uplift stage of folding is normal to the major folds trend. The fourth is NW-SE

extension face considerate as extension stress related to the primary NE-SW

compressive stress.

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