Morphostructures of the contact zone of the Black Sea basin and the North-Western Caucasus

Abstract

Two large and complicated morphostructural areas can be recognized both at the shelf .and at the land within the zone of contact between the Black Sea basin and the North-Western Caucasus: Tamar and Novorossiysk areas. The areas differed from each other in morphostructures characteristics, direction and rate of neotectonic movements throughout the Neotectonic stage. Morphostructural analysis allowed to distinguish within the areas morphostructural regions and individual morphostructures differing in neotectonic movements intensity. The most pronounced features of the areas' topography were formed during last (Neogene-Quaternary) stage, characterized with considerable sinking of the basin along fault lines and its enlargement on account of middle masses of the Alpine geosyncline.