Orientation of Carboniferous-Permian extension phase in the Central Alborz: paleostress analysis on the growth fault data

The Alborz Mountain range is formed by collision between the Central Iran and Eurasia plates, since Late Triassic. Facieses studies on the Alborz and Central Iran indicate sedimentation in shelf and epicontinental shelf in passive margin of Gondwana during Paleozoic Era. This study represents direction and paleostress analysis of the Central Alborz based on geometry and kinematics of faults; i.e. strike, dip, slicken line orientation and movement directions for Carboniferous and Permian Periods. Since many tectonic events occur after the Paleozoic Era in the Alborz Mountain range so just growth faults, active during sedimentation, which were not reactivated by later events were used for paleostress analysis. In total 15 stations, including 148 fault data are measured along the Tehran-Chalus road from Carboniferous and Permian outcrops. The data were rotated to the first position based on fold axes, when the layers were horizontal. FSA software (Fault Slip Analysis) was used to calculate orientations of principal stress directions. Primary results indicate a proximately North-South extension in Carboniferous and Permian Periods. Iran and adjacent area, rotated along vertical axis during its movements from Gondwana, in South, to Eurasia, in north, that based on the plate rotation the extension direction for Permian and Carboniferous Periods are NE-SW and ENE-WSW, respectively.