Tectonic Evolution of the Eastern Black Sea and Caucasus: an introduction

This Special Publication presents the results of 15 different studies in the Black Sea–Caucasus segment of the Alpine–Tethys orogenic realm. The main focus of these studies is the style and timing of key tectonic events occurring primarily during the area's post-Pangaean evolution. The methodologies encompass: geophysics, including active and passive crustal-scale seismology and common depth point reflection seismic profiling (both onshore and marine), palaeomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy; field geology, including biostratigraphic recorrelation; radiochronology; igneous rock geochemistry, including analyses of the obducted ophiolites; and low-temperature thermochronology. The geological record of the area is essentially one of sedimentary basins formed in an extensional back-arc setting and their subsequent compressional deformation during the closure of at least two branches of the Neotethys Ocean system.