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| Lorestan Arc | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lorestan Arc |
| Country | Iran |
| State | Lorestan Province |
Lorestan Arc is an arcuate mountainous region in western Iran associated with the Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt. It occupies parts of Lorestan Province, forming a curved highland between the Zagros Mountains and the Central Iranian Plateau, and has been studied in relation to plate interactions among the Arabian Plate, Eurasian Plate, and microplates such as the Anatolian Plate. The region is important for understanding the collision history that involves the Tethys Ocean, closure of the Neo-Tethys, and the evolution of the Iranian Plateau.
The Arc lies within the broader context of the Alborz Mountains, Zagros fold and thrust belt, and the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, interfacing with the Urmia-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc and the Central Iran structural zone. Its tectonic framework reflects ongoing convergence between the Arabian Plate and Eurasian Plate, influenced by lateral extrusion along the North Anatolian Fault and the Main Recent Fault system. Regional deformation is controlled by imbricate thrusting and oblique-slip faulting similar to processes recorded in the Makran Trench, Kopet Dag, and Hindu Kush. The area preserves tectonic markers linked to closure of the Paleo-Tethys and the subsequent accretion events that also affected the Pontides and Tauride Belt.
Stratigraphic successions in the Arc include Permian to Cenozoic units comparable to sequences in the Lut Block and Tabriz Basin. Carbonate platforms like those known from Zagros Mountains facies, clastic turbidites akin to the Sanandaj Basin, and volcanic products related to the Urmia-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc are present. Sedimentary records show parallels to the Sahand-Bazman Volcanic Belt and the Cimmerian blocks' deposits, with reefal limestones, marls, and flysch sequences similar to exposures in the Alborz. Basement rocks include metamorphic and igneous assemblages comparable to those in Central Iran and the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone.
The Arc exhibits arcuate folding, back-thrusts, and strike-slip domains resembling structures documented along the Zagros Thrust Front and in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Major faults linked to the Arc have geometries analogous to the Zagros Main Reverse Fault and the High Zagros Fault, with fold-thrust belts, duplex systems, and pop-up structures paralleling those in the Lurestan Plain and Kermanshah Province. Deformation includes tight to isoclinal folds comparable to the Hormuz Salt-influenced folding elsewhere, roof thrusts, and basement-involved uplifts akin to structures observed in the Makran Fold Belt.
Radiometric ages from igneous and metamorphic rocks tie Arc tectonics to the Mesozoic–Cenozoic evolution recorded in the Neo-Tethys realm and the Cimmerian Orogeny. Detrital zircon spectra and isotopic signatures resemble those measured in the Zagros and Sanandaj-Sirjan suites, linking provenance to sources comparable to the Eurasian hinterland and Arabian Shield. Paleogeographic reconstructions position the Arc within post‑Triassic marine basins similar to the Tethyan carbonate province and later emergent landscapes during the Oligocene–Miocene collision phases that also shaped the Anatolide-Tauride Block.
The Arc hosts mineralization styles comparable to deposits in the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc and the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, including porphyry-related copper-gold, epithermal precious-metal veins, and carbonate-hosted lead-zinc mineralization reminiscent of occurrences in the Zagros and Alborz. Hydrocarbon-bearing sequences analogous to those exploited in the Zagros fold belt and the Dezful Embayment may provide petroleum systems where organic-rich marls and source rocks are preserved. Significant occurrences of industrial minerals and building stone mirror quarrying practices in Isfahan and Kermanshah regions.
Seismic activity in the Arc is comparable to earthquake patterns recorded along the Zagros seismic zone and the Main Recent Fault, with moderate to large events influenced by the Arabia–Eurasia convergence. Historical seismicity parallels earthquakes known from Tabriz, Kermanshah earthquake (2017), and the Bam earthquake in terms of societal impact and rupture behavior. Geohazards include landslides, slope instability, and sediment liquefaction similar to those documented in the Alborz Mountains and along the Makran coast.
Scientific investigation of the Arc has involved institutions such as the Geological Survey of Iran, international collaborations with researchers from University of Tehran, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and agencies like the US Geological Survey and International Union of Geological Sciences. Key field campaigns and mapping programs paralleled studies in the Zagros and Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone and used methods drawn from tectonostratigraphy practiced in the Alpine orogen studies. Ongoing research integrates geophysical surveys like gravity and seismic reflection comparable to work in the Persian Gulf and isotopic dating techniques applied elsewhere in the Alpine–Himalayan belt.