Folding Geometry Surveys of Asef Mountain, Northern Shiraz (Southwestern Folded Zagros Belt)

In this paper the geometrical relationship of the folds which exist in the Folded Zagros Mountains, including Asef Mountain (northern Iran), were studied. The southern and western zones of the Zagros Mountains are called the Folded Zagros. These zones extend approximately 1,375 km in length with a width ranging from 120 to 250 km. Asef Mountain is located in northern Shiraz (from northern Sarda to the vicinity of Zarghan) and is part of the southwestern zone of the Folded Zagros. In this area, Cenozoic formations are folded due to the effects of the tectonic process. This study was done in order to identify these folding features. The results of this research indicate that the axial surface of the folding has a dominant northwest-southeast trend which does not conform to the general trend of the Zagros. The folds are placed into the classes: upright gently plunging, steeply inclined gently plunging, steeply inclined moderately plunging, upright moderately plunging, upright sub horizontal, moderately inclined sub horizontal and moderately inclined gently plunging with respect to their geometry and floating divisions (Fluety,1964), on the basis of axial surface and hinge line trends of the Cenozoic formations. Additionally, these folds are categorized in close and open fold classes on the basis of limb inclination (Fluety, 1964).