Caucasus Mountains and Armenian Highlands

Abstract

The Caucasus mountains and Armenian highlands represent the eastern part of the technically young, epigeosynclinal orogenic Alpine zone, lying between the Scythian platform (Hercynian) and the Arabian platform (Precambrian). The Great Caucasus forms the outer ridges of the Alpine orogenic system, while the Armenian highlands form an inner sector, comprising typical block, folded-block and folded systems of ridges, extensive uplands with bevelled surfaces, basins and monoclinal plains; the whole complex assemblage represents a transitional zone to the ancient Arabian platform [see Dumitrashko and Museibov (1977)].