The use of gravity and aeromagnetic data to define the structural configuration of the Western Desert, Iraq

Abstract

A gravity and magnetic analysis was performed over the Western Desert (WD) of Iraq to determine the structural makeup of the Phanerozoic sediments that overlie Precambrian lithologies. The WD contains a series of basins that were formed during a series of Precambrian to Paleozoic compressional tectonic events. Regional and residual gravity and magnetic anomaly maps created by a variety of methods, and a CET lineament analyzes of these maps indicate that the basins were formed mainly by strike-slip and transverse faults. These faults may have been the reactivation of faults formed during Precambrian compressional tectonic events. The prominent Nukhaib graben was found to be a series of smaller grabens and horsts whose origin is probably related to reactivation of Precambrian faults.

Department(s)

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2020.104362

Keywords

Gravity, Iraq, Lineaments, Magnetics, Western Desert

Publication Date

7-1-2020

Journal Title

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences

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