TITLE:
Origin of Some Transversal Linear Features of NE-SW Trend in Iraq, and Their Geological Characters
AUTHORS:
Varoujan K. Sissakian, Nadhir Al-Ansari, Sven Knutsson
KEYWORDS:
Component, Transversal Forms, Playas, Linear Rivers, Streams, Valleys, Plate Collision, Iraq
JOURNAL NAME:
Natural Science,
Vol.6 No.12,
August
20,
2014
ABSTRACT: Iraq is
located at the extreme northeastern part of the Arabian Plate, which is in collision
with the Eurasian Plate. This collision is still onward, and has caused
alignment of the evolved structures in NW-SE trend, mainly, especially in the
northern, northeastern and eastern sides of Iraq. However, many transversal
linear features of NE-SW trend, represented by rivers, streams, valleys,
playas, anticlines and offsets are developed, in parallel trend to the main
compressional forces created by the aforementioned collision. Many examples
from different parts of Iraq confirm the mechanism of their formation through
the geological, geomorphological, tectonics and structural aspects. Although
the existing linear features are tens of kilometers in length, but almost no
surface displacements were reported, except very few, in some parts of Iraq.
The given examples are selected to be the most obvious, when geophysical data
are available, the surface and subsurface geology of the involved area is
correlated to deduce whether the surface expression coincides with the subsurface
or otherwise. A brief tectonic history is also given.