Temporal evolution of faults in Ziaran region, shoutwestern of central Alborz

Ziaran area is located in the southwestern part of the central Alborz range (northern Iran) where a complete series of rocks from Paleozoic to Tertiary are exposed. Thus, the area is suitable for temporal evolution of structures in this part of the range. The study area is bounded by the Taleghan Fault to the south, the Tekie Fault to the east, and the Ahurak Fault (western continuation of the North Qazvin Fault) to the North. In this research, kinematic analysis of these faults and other related structures are presented to elucidate their structural evolution during Tertiary, considering the relationship between present structure and the dominant Tertiary deformation phases. The data obtained from analysis of the Taeghan Fault implies the basement involvement nature of the fault and its evolution during the inversion of an initial normal fault since Late Cretaceous (at least). This inversion led to thrusting of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks over the Eocene units. Based on E-W strikes of the Taleghan and Ahurak faults and their reverse components, it might be suggested that they have been formed as a result of a N–S compression phase before the Miocene. During the Miocene, the final collision between the Arabian Plate and Central Iran has occurred (with approximate oblique trend of SSW-NNE). This change of trend resulted in variation on the main faults kinematics across the area such as change in kinematics of the Taleghan Fault to left lateral strike-slip and that of the Ahurak Fault to right lateral strike-slip. Due to SSW motions of the Caspian basin toward the central Iran, left lateral transperssion tectonics have dominant since Pliocene. This movement led to reactivation of the basement faults and their effect have resulted in the formation of several left lateral strike slip faults, as its riddle shear faults inside the study area.