Zagros mountains geologyThe
Zagros Mountains make up
Iraq's and
Iran largest
mountain range. They have a total length of 1500 km from western Iran, specifically the
Kurdistan region on the border with
Iraq to the southern parts of the
Persian Gulf. The range ends at the
Straits of Hormuz. The highest point in the Zagros range is Mt.
Dena at 5098 m/16998 feet.
Formed by collision of the
Eurasian and Arabian
tectonic plates,the range extends for hundreds of kilometers. Stresses induced in theEarth's crust by the collision caused extensive folding of thepreexisting layered
sedimentary rocks. Subsequent erosion removed softer rocks, such as
mudstone (rock formed by consolidated mud) and
siltstone (a slightly coarser-grained mudstone) while leaving harder rocks, such as
limestone (calcium-rich rock consisting of the remains of marine organisms) and
dolomite (rocks similar to limestone containing
calcium and
magnesium). This differential
erosionformed the linear ridges of the Zagros Mountains. The depositionalenvironment and tectonic history of the rocks were conducive to theformation and trapping of
petroleum, and the Zagros region is an important part of
Persian Gulf production.
Salt domes and
salt glaciersare a common feature of the Zagros Mountains. Salt domes are animportant target for oil exploration, as the impermeable saltfrequently traps petroleum beneath other rock layers. Since thenorthern part of Zagros encompasses much of the historic Kurdishregions of Middle East, it has also been referred to as
Kurdish Mountains or
Kurdistan Mountains.