KITCHKA,ALEXANDER, Institute of Geological Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine

Abstract: Tectonic Evolution and Structural Traps of the NW Black Sea Shelf

A complex sedimentary basin of the Black Sea has originated as Meso-Late Cimmerian pull-apart system along the Kopet Dag - Pribalhan - Greater Caucasus - Crimea - North Dobrogea strike-slip belt with counter-clockwise rotation of terraines and lateral alternation of transtensional and transpressional regimes within a back-arc margin. The result of such structural development has been a sphenochasm-like Mid-Cretaceous opening of the East Black Sea basin owing to the Cimmerian/Alpine accommodation of in-plane interplate stress. As to the West Black Sea basin, it has undergone more complex development due to the WNW-ward tectonic escape of the Moesian microplate as a counter-balance reaction on the synchronous contrary movement of the fragments composing the present-day Pannonian basin that was responsible for "Z"-shaped megasuture of the East Carpathians-Balkanides foldbelt. The present NW Black Sea is an inactive passive continental margin where listric pre-rift and rifting normal faults form steep southward tilted blocks of the Aptian-Albian half grabens that suffered minor to medium-scaled north-verging inversion related to the Pyrenean compressional phase sensu lato with possible dextral slip along their strike. Besides the regional-scale faults controlling main structural oil and gas traps, this study attests an important role of intrabasinal ones and Cenozoic gravitational features. As for gravity-driven structures, the area is characterized by a broad spectrum of growth faults with associated rollovers, submarine multistage slides and slumps producing small and medium-sized folds in front of thrust lobes in particular.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90923@1999 International Conference and Exhibition, Birmingham, England