A new model for structural deformation in the palmyride fold belt, Syria

Abstract EN

The Palmyride mountain chain is the main structure in central Syria.

It represents an intracontinental NE-SW trending fold belt, within the northern part of the Arabian Plate.

It is bounded by the Aleppo–Mardine uplift to the North–West and by the Hamad Uplift to the South-East.

This study is based mainly on numereous field geological observations.

New informations are obtained about the tectonic behavior of the Palmyride fold belt.

The main faults are generally normal.

There is no surface geological evidence for thrusting within the Palmyrides, as suggested by the authors before.

The argument to be developed in this study is that the Palmyrides fold belt owe its existence to the lateral displacement of the Triassic gypsum, not to the lateral decollement of its overlying series, and consequently no shortening of 20 km as estimated by the authors before.

A simple model is proposed to explain the observed tectonic features.

It is interpreted that this tectonic event induced a master transfer of the Triassic gypsum under the Arabian Plate movement toward the north and the northeast at the Neogene time.