Inception of activity and slip rate on the Main Recent Fault of Zagros Mountains, Iran

We used geological, geomorphological markers, pull-apart basins, and drainage patterns to explore totally a new more accurate strike-slip offset on the Main Recent Fault (MRF) of the Zagros Mountains in SW Iran. The MRF has a NW-SE strike that is among the most important structural features within the Arabian-Iranian continental collision zone. Inception of the MRF has been suggested to be related to the slab break-off underneath the Zagros during the last 10-5 Ma. We conclude that the maximum total right-lateral offset on the MRF is about 16 km, leading to a slip rate of about 1.6-3.2 mm y(-1). These figures for the fault inception time and slip rate are consistent according to geodetic estimates and three-dimensional mechanical modeling. (C) 2012 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.