Kadirov, Fakhraddin; Maden, Nafiz; Safarov, Rafig; Gahramanov, Murad

The South Caspian Basin is characterized by high tectonic activity, which resulted in the presence of significant hydrocarbon resources that are currently being exploited. This has led to a surge in research efforts, as the basin's substantial hydrocarbon reserves, coupled with its complex tectonic history, attract considerable scientific interest. This research study aims to contribute to our understanding of the crustal structure of the South Caspian Basin. To achieve this objective, we employed geophysical techniques, with a primary focus on analyzing Bouguer gravity data, power spectrum analysis, and edge detection methods. This comprehensive approach, integrating diverse methodologies, provided substantial advancements in our understanding of the basin's geological framework, with valuable insights into the tectonic processes operating in the region. In the Absheron-Prebalkhan zone, the Moho depth was constrained to an estimated 42 km. The investigation further reveals a constriction of the area towards the east, reaching a depth of 36 km near Prebalkhan and a final depth of 39 km within Prebalkhan itself. The total horizontal gradient technique and the logistic filter were implemented on the gravity data of the study region to figure out faults, geological boundaries, and structural lineaments within the South Caspian Basin.

Maden, Nafiz; Aydin, Ali; Kadirov, Fakhraddin

The Erzurum-Horasan-Pasinler basin, which surrounds Miocene rocks, is oriented approximately E–W and is located in Eastern Anatolia (Türkiye). East Anatolia, where ophiolitic and young volcanic rocks are widespread, is situated in the Alpine–Himalayan fold-thrust fault belt. The NW–SE trending North Anatolian Transform Fault Zone and the NE–SW trending East Anatolian Transform Fault Zone, formed by the compressional regime of East Anatolia, control the main tectonics of the study region. While the Moho and Conrad depths of the study region are 43.0 and 20.9 km, respectively, the average sedimentary thickness has been determined to be 5.2 km by using the power spectrum method. On the other hand, it is found that the depth of the Moho in the region varies from 41.0 to 44.5 km and the depth of the Conrad discontinuity varies between 22 and 26 km, as computed using empirical equations. The basement of the sedimentary layer is calculated to be 6 km by using inversion results applied to the residual gravity data. The Curie point depth and average heat flow value in this region are calculated as 18.0 km and 89.1 m Wm−2, respectively. Geotherm calculations reveal that the Moho temperature is 1,028.0 °C based on the crustal model. The high heat flow values obtained are attributed to tectonic activities and melting of the lithospheric mantle caused by upwelling of the asthenosphere.