Structure of the Maikop complex of the Caspian Sea region based on seismic stratigraphic research

Abstract

The paper reports on the structure of the Oligocene–Lower Miocene Maikop complex of the Caspian Sea and its margin on the basis of seismic and geological data. It is shown that the regional structure of Maikop deposits of Ciscaucasia and the Middle Caspian is characterized by large clinoform sedimentary bodies. New data on formation, structure, and occurrence of clinoforms in Maikop deposits are generalized for the researched region. Two main systems of clinoforms were defined in the Maikop complex: the single large cone located in the Middle Caspian and Eastern Ciscaucasia and the southeastern system of clinoforms located in the area of Kazakh Bay. Structural characteristics and sedimentogenesis of a clinoform formation are revealed using seismic and sequence stratigraphic methods.