Structures of the Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran

The Zagros fold-thrust belt in Iran forms the external part of the Zagros active orogenic wedge. It includes a sequence of heterogeneous latest Neoproterozoic--Phanerozoic sedimentary cover strata, ∼7 to 12 km thick and composed of alternating incompetent and competent layers, overlying Precambrian crystalline basement with a complex pre-Zagros structural fabric. Balancing structures of the cover statigraphic units in the Zagros fold-thrust belt requires in-sequence and out-of-sequence involvement of the Precambrian basement in the deformation. Six detailed balanced and retrodeformable cross-sections, which are constructed based on geological and geophysical data across various sectors of the belt, show…