This wide area of the Alpine-Himalayan belt evolved through a series of tectonic events related to the opening and closure of the Tethys Ocean. In doing so it produced the largest mountain belt of the world, which extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. The basins associated with this belt contain invaluable information related to mountain building processes and are the locus of rich hydrocarbon accumulations. However, knowledge about the geological evolution of the region is limited compared to what they offer.

The fifteen chapters included in this volume are concerned with the main issues in the Eastern Black sea and Caucasus regions of the Alpine–Tethyan orogenic realm, which are: (1) the changes in space and time of geodynamic processes responsible for the closure of the northern branch of the Neotethys Ocean and how these changes are related to the opening and inversion of back-arc basins; (2) the northwestern terminus of the Eastern Black sea rift; (3) timing and evolution of inverted and foreland basins; (4) the continuity of structures and their evolution in time between the Eastern Black Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Lesser Caucasus and those of the Taurides–Anatolides– Pontides belt and of NW Iran; and (5) Paratethys evolution since the Eocene in this belt. The papers included in this volume present new results obtained mostly by projects supported by the DARIUS programme.

The Black Sea remains one of the largest underexplored rift basins in the world. Future success is dependent on a better understanding of a number of geological uncertainties. These include reservoir and source rock presence and quality, and the timing of migration of hydrocarbons relative to trap formation. An appreciation of the geological history of the Black Sea basins and the surrounding orogens is therefore key. The timing of basin formation, uplift of the margins, and of facies distribution remain issues for robust debate. This Special Publication presents the results of 15 studies that relate to the tectono-stratigraphy and petroleum geology of the Black Sea. The methodologies of these studies encompass crustal structure, geodynamic evolution, stratigraphy and its regional correlation, petroleum systems, source to sink, hydrocarbon habitat and play concepts, and reviews of past exploration. They provide insight into the many ongoing controversies concerning Black Sea regional geology and provide a better understanding of the geological risks that must be considered for future hydrocarbon exploration.

This book combines interdisciplinary research results using structural geology, geophysics, sedimentology, stratigraphy, palaeontology, palaeomagnetism and subsidence modelling obtained through the MEBE (Middle East Basins Evolution) Programme and other groups in the South Caspian and Northern and Central Iran. A great part of the volume is devoted to Northern Iran (Alborz, Binalud and Koppeh Dagh belts), dealing mainly with the Late Palaeozoic and the Mesozoic Eras. Two papers present subsidence models of the South Caspian Basin since the Jurassic and three papers focus on Central Iran. The data and models in this compilation of papers present a detailed picture and a very comprehensive understanding of the Late Palaeozoic to Cenozoic evolution of the South Caspian and North Iran to Central Iran basins. Geodynamic evolution and sedimentation are mainly controlled by the closure of the Palaeo-Tethys due to collision of Eocimmerian blocks with south Laurasia, opening of the South Caspian Basin, and Neo-Tethys ocean closure associated with Arabia-Eurasia collision.

This volume is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the state of art of research related to geo-related hazards in the Caucasus and other orogenic regions; it is also devoted to shedding light on a broad array of geological phenomena as well as discussing innovative tools and strategies for geohazard assessment. Additional emphasis is placed on preventive and mitigation measures, which might be helpful in tackling seismic, volcanic and landslide risks affecting major lifelines and infrastructures. The innovative, multidisciplinary methodologies illustrated in this volume may be successfully applied to other orogenic regions across the globe. The book features major scientific contributions from experts working on different Earth Science topics, such as seismology, structural geology, applied geology and volcanology. Its chapters describe a wide gamut of cutting-edge research methodologies and are thus intended to be read and shared by the worldwide Earth Science community. In particular, the readers will have a chance to gain a thorough knowledge of a number of key geological features that can be observed across both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. Moreover, the volume provides a thorough description of the techniques employed to assess seismic hazard in major cities - such as microzonation - and an overview of the efforts taken to monitor and prevent seismic and landslide hazard posed to vital energy infrastructures in the Caucasus region.

Southwest Asia is one of the most remarkable regions on Earth in terms of active faulting and folding, large-magnitude earthquakes, volcanic landscapes, petroliferous foreland basins, historical civilizations as well as geologic outcrops that display the protracted and complex 540 m.y. stratigraphic record of Earth's Phanerozoic Era. Emerged from the birth and demise of the Paleo-Tethys and Neo-Tethys oceans, southwest Asia is currently the locus of ongoing tectonic collision between the Eurasia-Arabia continental plates. The region is characterized by the high plateaus of Iran and Anatolia fringed by the lofty ranges of Zagros, Alborz, Caucasus, Taurus, and Pontic mountains; the region also includes the strategic marine domains of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Caspian, and Mediterranean. This 19-chapter volume, published in honor of Manuel Berberian, a preeminent geologist from the region, brings together a wealth of new data, analyses, and frontier research on the geologic evolution, collisional tectonics, active deformation, and historical and modern seismicity of key areas in southwest Asia.

The Zagros fold-thrust belt (ZFTB) extends from Turkey to the Hormuz Strait, resulting from the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates during Cenozoic times, and separates the Arabian platform from the large plateaux of central Iran. To the east a pronounced syntaxis marks the transition between the Zagros collision belt and the Makran accretionary wedge. In the ZFTB, the Proterozoic to Recent stratigraphic succession pile is involved in huge folds, and offers the opportunity to study the stratigraphic and tectonic evolution of the Palaeo-Tethyan margin. Few recent data were widely available on the southern Tethys margin preserved in the Zagros Mountains. The Middle East Basins Evolution (MEBE) program was an excellent opportunity to go back to the field and to collect new data to better constrain the evolution of this margin. In this volume the structure of the Zagros Mountains is explored through different scales and using different methodologies.