14C Dating of Recent Crustal Movements in the Persian Gulf and the Iranian Makran

Abstract

Radiocarbon dating of mollusks and barnacles from fossil shoreline deposits in the Persian Gulf and on the coast of Iranian Makran is being used to assess the extent and rate of recent crustal deformation in the area. Samples are selected with the help of x-ray diffraction and of light and scanning electron microscopy; whenever possible, two or more ages are determined for each locality on monospecific samples. Age/height values have been used to compute local uplift rates by allowing for sea-level fluctuations, but eustatic controversy can be avoided by limiting the analysis to fault chronology and to relative vertical movements between dated sections. Short counting times on large, carefully pretreated samples would supply the numerous, cheap, low-resolution ages required to follow up the preliminary results obtained by the survey.