The Geological History of the Kerch–Taman Area Based on a Reconstructed Regional Balanced Section

Abstract

The geological framework and tectonics of the East Black Sea region is characterized through balancing a geological cross-section and paleoreconstruction during the Paleogene–Neogene period. The studied area includes the Kerch–Taman trough, the Anapa Swell (a continuation of the immersed part of the Greater Caucasus Orogen), the Tuapse trough, and the Shatsky Swell. This paper is mainly focused on the Russian shelf zone of the Black Sea. The results are important for understanding the trap formation time and the preservation of hydrocarbon deposits in the Russian sector of the Black Sea shelf.