Paleomagnetic Constraints on Microblock Rotations and Faulting Inversion in the Zagros‐Makran Transition Zone

ABSTRACT The transition zone between the Zagros continental collision and the Makran Accretionary wedge, north of the Strait of Hormuz, represents a complex region of deformation. While previous models have suggested that the structural curvature in this region is secondary due to the indentation of the Musandam Mountains, this study presents new paleomagnetic and kinematic data to document this hypothesis. Paleomagnetic analysis of Oligo–Miocene to Upper Miocene rock units in the eastern region of the Strait of Hormuz reveals a consistent counter‐clockwise (CCW) rotation of approximately 75°–85° (for microblocks C and D, respectively). In contrast, the CCW rotation in the region (microblocks B), to the north of the Strait of Hormuz, is significantly less. We propose a two‐stage deformational model to account for these observations. First, a large‐scale, regional stress field from the Miocene convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates caused a unified CCW block rotation of western Makran, which in turn induced dextral shearing along microblocks C and D bounding (Dar‐Pahn and Pashgiram) faults. Second, the indentation of the Musandam Mountains caused approximately 20° post‐folding CCW rotation of microblocks A and B around the Strait of Hormuz and consequently inducing dextral shearing on the Minab‐Zendan and Palami Fault zones. Toward the east of the strait, this indentation caused kinematic inversion on the regional (Dar‐Pahn and Pashgiram) fault zones bounding microblocks C and D.