Neogene Sequence of Folding in the NW Zagros Fold Belt Dating Non-marine Foreland Growth Strata

Three magnetostratigraphic sections across the Pusht-e Kuh Arc in NW Zagros and Izeh Zone constrain the ages of syntectonic foreland deposits as well as the timing of folding. These sections are located in the front of the Pusht-e Kuh Arc in the Changuleh growth syncline, in the centre of the arc in the Afrineh growth syncline and in the hinterland along the footwall of the High Zagros Fault. The ages for folding onset are well constrained in Changuleh at 7.65 Ma and in Afrineh at 11.8 Ma. In Chaman Goli growth syncline the age of initial folding could be as old as 13.5 Ma that fits with even older ages (early Miocene) along the footwall of the Main Zagros Thrust. Folding propagated towards the foreland during at least 20 My, which implies an older age and a longer duration than previously assumed.