Seismotectonics of southern Iran: The Oman Line

Abstract

Seismotectonic characteristics of the transition area between the Zagros continental collision zone and the Makran ocean‐continent convergence zone (the ‘Oman Line’) are carefully examined. A northeast trending zone of earthquakes terminates the Zagros belt of seismicity just west of the Oman Line. This seismic zone extends northeastward beyond the Main Zagros Thrust and coincides with a surface escarpment clearly visible on LANDSAT imagery. Events with accurately determined depths along this seismic zone occurred in the upper 20 km of the crust and possibly show a shallow (<10°) northeastward dip. East of the Oman Line, the Zendan‐Minab fault system is relatively aseismic. The Oman Line region may be characterized by underthrusting of a wedge of Arabian shelf edge beneath Iranian crust or by an indentation of Arabia into the Iranian crustal block as a promontory. Available seismological and geological data cannot uniquely distinguish between these two possible tectonic settings. The area located to the northwest of the Oman Line region, now a zone of continental collision, appears to have been characterized by an episode of Neogene subduction. A well‐located, intermediate‐depth earthquake occurred in this area to the northeast of the Main Zagros Thrust on November 9, 1970. It was accurately located at 107‐km depth beneath a line of Quaternary volcanoes. Its focal mechanism may indicate downdip tension, with nodal planes that strike closely parallel to the trend of the Zagros arc. Comparison of this event and other neotectonic features in this part of Iran with those in other active convergent zones suggests that a descending oceanic lithosphere beneath the Zagros volcanic arc may still be attached to the colliding Arabian plate.