Iraqi National Journal of Earth Science

Abstract

The study includes the structural and tectonic analysis of Mandan anticline. Mandan anticline consists of Fath'a, Injana and Muqdadiya Formations
(Middle Miocene, Upper Miocene and Lower Pliocene age). Structural and geometric analysis of the three studied traverses revealed its generally asymmetry. It's verging towards the southwest, and it's plunging toword southeast, meet each other with Maqlob anticline from the northwest. Also the fold axis changes anticlockwise from the first traverse to the second traverse, and then clockwise to the third traverse, this is because the influence of fold to three strike-slip faults.
Fourier analysis shows that in traverse II and III the northeast limb of the fold changes from chevron to chevron sinusoidal shape. The southwest limb changes from sinusoidal, parabolic and semi ellipses. The reasons for these changes is attributed to influence of fold to normal listiric foreland fault and two strike-slip faults at the second and third traverses.
The study shows also that the Mandan anticline influenced by two foreland listiric faults. The first was reverse fault affects the fold in the first traverse only then swerves south. The second affects the fold as a whole at the northern limb. This is known from the geometric analysis of the formations at limbs in the second traverse and between the three traverses. Field observations, satellite images and the DEM (Digital elevation model) revealed existence of three strike –slip faults, two are sinistral and the third is dextral, namely Bardarash, Sheikh khalik and the Coma Zard faults.