The formation and inversion of the western Greater Caucasus Basin and the uplift of the western Greater Caucasus: Implications for the wider Black Sea region

A new timeline for the uplift of the western Greater Caucasus reveals that significant mountain formation and basin closure occurred around 34 million years ago, predating previous estimates. This study links the tectonic inversion of the Mesozoic Greater Caucasus Basin to broader geodynamic processes in the Black Sea region, with subsidence patterns suggesting synchronous rifting events in the Aalenian-Bajocian, late Tithonian-Berriasian, and Hauterivian-Aptian periods. Pollen analysis indicates the uplifting range reached a paleoaltitude of approximately 2 km by the early Oligocene, providing critical insights for models of Arabia-Eurasia collision dynamics.

Vincent, S. J., Braham, W., Lavrishchev, V. A., Maynard, J. R., & Harland, M. (2016). The formation and inversion of the western Greater Caucasus Basin and the uplift of the western Greater Caucasus: Implications for the wider Black Sea region. Tectonics, 35(12), 2948–2962. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016tc004204