UNIVERSITY OF KIRKUK

COLLEGE OF SCIENC
DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED GEOLOGY

REPORT ABOUT

Recent tectonic history of Iraq

Recent tectonic history of Iraq

RESERCH BY:- SUPERVISE:-

Ismail Abdul Karim Yadgar Dr. Burkan Saeed
Zaniar Beston Muhammad
 (1-1) tectonic plate
A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a
massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally
composed of both continental and oceanic lithospheres.
 (1-2) types of plate tectonic
boundaries

There are three types of plate tectonic boundaries:

1. divergent ,
2. convergent,
3. transform plate boundaries.
 (1-3) Iraq tectonic divisions
Iraq has been divided into several tectonic divisions since 1951,
including two parts by Less and Falcon in 1952, Dunnington in
1958, Bolton in 1958, Dittmar et al in 1978, Boudi and
Jassim in 1984, Al- Kazemi and others in 1996, Numan
in 1997, and Jassim and Goff in 2006. The divisions are based
on tectonic and structural elements, with the last division made by
Fouad in 2010. The Zagros Suture Zone is subdivided into three
zones: Qulqula-Khwakurk , Penjwin-Walash , and Shlair
.
 1- Henson (1951)
Henson (1951) divided Iraq into two main shelves:

1. stable shelf in western, south-western, and southern parts,

2. Unstable shelf in northern, north-eastern, and eastern parts. .
Henson (1951)
 2 - Ditmar , et al. (1971)
a- Northern Slope of Africa-Arabian Platform.
b- Near Platform Flank of the Foredeep .
c- Central Faulting Zone.
d- Near Geosynclinal of the Foredeep .
e- Zagros Geosyncline.
 Bolton (1958)

Ditmar
 3 - Buday and Jassim (1984)
The stable shelf is divided into 3 zones,

a- Stable shelf subdivision into two zones ( Rutbah-Jezirah Zone and Salman
Zone)
b-Unstable shelf subdivided into three zones (Mesopotamian zone, High folded zone
and foothill zone ).
d- Geosynclinal Area subdivided into three zones ((External Zone ( Balambo-
Tanjero and Northern ( Ora ) Thrust Zone),
Buday and Jassim (1984)
 4 - Al- Kadhmi et al (1996)
Al- Kadhmi et al (1996) used geophysical data and geosynclinals concepts to
divide Iraq tectonically into three units :

1. stable shelf ( Ma´anyiah-Rutbah Zone and Salman Zone),

2. stable shelf (Mesopotamian zone, high folded zone, and low folded zone),
and
3. geosyncline - Thrust Zone ( Balambo-Tanjero Zone, Northern ( Ora )
Thrust Zone, Central Geosyncline Zone, and Shlair Zone).
 6- Jassim and Goff (2006)
Iraq is divided into three tectonic zones :
1. stable Shelf,
2. Unstable Shelf, and
3. Zagros Suture Zone .

The stable shelf is divided into three subzones: Rutbah-Jezirah , Salman,

Mesopotamian, and Tigris.
The unstable shelf is divided into three subzones: Foothill, High Folded, and
Imbricate.
 REFERENCES
m
 7 - Fouad (2010)
10- Fouad (2010) has divided Iraq into four main tectonic zones; each. each
one has its own characteristics concerning the type of the rocks, their age,
thickness and structural evolution. These four zones are:
a- Inner Platform (stable shelf).
b- Outer Platform (unstable shelf).
c- Shalair Zone (terrain).
d- Zagros Suture Zone.
REFERENCES