Structural Dynamics and Resource Potentional of South Caspian Megadepression: Insights from Mud Volcanism and Oil-gas Exploration

The compressive stresses arising due to the geodynamic conditions surrounding of the South Caspian megadepression are unevenly distributed among the structural elements. The values of the length-to-width ratio of the local folds, which determine the relatively high intensity of compressive stresses within Kura-Gabirri (3.4-7.0 km), Pri-Caspian-Guba (2.0-5.8 km), the northern zone of the Shamakhi-Gobustan depression (2.3-4.9 km) and Absheron-Pribalkhan non-classical subduction zone (2.0-8.6 km) have been observed in the South Caspian megadepression, which are located near the collision zones of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. This indicator along the megadepression decreases in the northwest-southeast direction to Lower Kura (2.3-4.9 km) and the Baku archipelago (2.5-6.1 km). This is due to the intensity of compressive stresses caused by the bending deformation of the narrow northwestern part of the Iranian-Afghan plate in the east-northeast direction causes the increase of compressive stresses in the mentioned structural elements. The increase in the thickness and clay content of the sedimentary strata of the megadepression in the southeast direction is one of the main reason for the development of mud volcanoes in its eastern part.