Abstract
Makran Subduction Zone (MZS) is important as this region lies on both sides of the border of Iran and Pakistan along the coastline. Makran Subduction complex has pervasive seismicity and diverse focal mechanism solutions and being in the vicinity of Triple Junction where three major Tectonic plates; Arabian, Eurasian and Indian plates are connecting. Both of Chabahar and Gwadar ports are located in this vicinity, on which China is investing for CPEC, Belt and Road Initiative. The whole world is looking at these projects of Makran, as this may define and transform the future of trade. Hence Geoscience point of view is notable as well in consideration for the successful execution of these projects. Several Microplates/blocks have been proposed around the vicinity MSZ and Indian-Eurasian Plate boundary including the Ormara microplate, Lut Block, Helmand Block, and Pakistan-Iran Makran microplate (PIMM). The purpose of this review is to shed light on PIMM. Despite previous researches related to Makran, still many researchers are working to solve puzzles related to the complexity of MSZ. It is divided into Eastern and Western Makran due to seismicity and North to South into four parts based on stratigraphy, thrusts and folds. This review aims to give suggestions for the hypothesis on PIMM which was inferred as a separate microplate.
Highlights
MSZ is known to have complex tectonic settings being near to the Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates (i.e. Eurasian, Indian and Arabian) are interacting (Curray et al, 1982; Mokhtari et al, 2019)
The Eastern side of Makran seems activate in recent historical times, while the other side which is termed as Western Makran (WM) tends to be aseismic (Figure 3) (Jacob and Quittmeyer, 1979; Musson, 2009; Rajendran et al, 2013)
Despite previous research work related to MSZ, critics arise on Pakistan-Iran Makran microplate (PIMM)
Summary
MSZ is known to have complex tectonic settings being near to the Triple Junction, where three tectonic plates (i.e. Eurasian, Indian and Arabian) are interacting (Curray et al, 1982; Mokhtari et al, 2019). The surface of the accretionary prism of Makran is marked by steep and asymmetrical folds with imbricate thrust wedges These folds are mainly striking East to West and almost parallel to these fold axes, there are reverse faults that are roughly dipping from North to West (Ahmed, 1969). A group researchers used satellite imagery, from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) for investigation of active time series of convergence between slip on the megathrust and internal deformation (Lin, 2015; Lin et al, 2015) He inferred that elastic strain is accumulating in the region which can trigger a high magnitude earthquake as in the past
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