Collisional history of Eurasian and Arabian Plates: Structural evidence from Korudağ-Gerger Fold and Thrust Complex, southeast Türkiye

The Korudağ-Gerger Fold and Thrust Complex in southeastern Türkiye provides a critical record of the evolution of the Arabian-Eurasian collision. This research integrates field mapping, stratigraphic analysis, and structural cross-section balancing to document five distinct tectonic phases: i) Early Cretaceous uplift and erosion; ii) Late Campanian allochthonous emplacement; iii) End of Early Eocene contraction with significant erosion and thrusting, potentially driven by mid-ocean ridge subduction; iv) Middle Miocene shortening that formed the primary fold-thrust architecture; and v) Post-Miocene to recent deformation. Approximately 9.6 km (28 %) of crustal shortening is quantified through balanced cross-section analysis. The deep incision of the Euphrates River is interpreted as a direct geomorphic response to ongoing PostMiocene uplift. These results demonstrate the polyphase nature of continental collision in the Southeast Anatolian Orogenic Belt and underscore the dynamic interplay between tectonic processes and landscape evolution in this active mountain belt.