UFAZ Graduate’s Research Article Published in a Q1-Ranked International Journal

A research article co-authored by Alamdar Dashdamirov, a graduate of the Geosciences and Geophysical Engineering program at the French-Azerbaijani University (UFAZ), who is currently pursuing a PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, has been published in the international journal Basin Research. The journal is indexed in the Scopus database and ranks in the Q1 quartile in the “Earth and Planetary Sciences – Geology” category.

The study, entitled “Tectonic Re-Organization and Onset of South Caspian Escape Tectonics at 1.8–2.4 Ma”, focuses on the geological evolution of the South Caspian Basin and aims to determine when its present-day tectonic movements began. The research was conducted under the supervision of Alamdar's academic supervisors at the University of Oxford, Richard Walker and Claudia Bertoni, as well as Dr. Nazim Abdullayev, Doctor of Science in Geophysics and Seismology at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS).

The study examines the geological evolution of the South Caspian Basin and its movement patterns in relation to the surrounding areas. By combining data from offshore seismic reflection surveys with findings from previous geological and geodetic studies, the researchers analysed when tectonic changes took place in the region and the mechanisms behind them.

One of the key findings of the study is that the tectonic movements currently observed in the South Caspian Basin began approximately 1.8-2.4 million years ago. The researchers show that this phase was distinct from the earlier tectonic processes, which had come to an end around 6 million years ago. The new tectonic phase is characterised by the development of compression and horizontal displacement along the northern and western boundaries of the basin. In other words, the research provides a clearer understanding of how the geological structure of the South Caspian Basin has changed over time and when its present-day tectonic system began to take shape.

Read the full article at the link below: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bre.70152