3D seismic reflection evidence of the blind thrust system in the northern Diyarbakır, southeast Turkey

There is a limited number of published data regarding the tectonic style of the foreland of the Bitlis-Zagros Suture Zone in southeast Turkey. Particularly, the relationship between buried thrust faults and blind thrusts is unclear. The location from where the subsurface data of this paper was obtained lies 40 km north of Diyarbakır, and this data has provided an opportunity to define blind thrust related folding and discuss its relationship with the buried thrust faults determined by the earlier work. The 3D land seismic reflection data were recorded for hydrocarbon exploration where the top of the Hoya Formation is defined. The folding of Hoya Formation is interpreted to be related to the blind thrust and back thrust. During the interpretation, the attribute modules of the current seismic interpretation software were used, of which the Fault Likelihood and Automatic Fault Interpretation (AFI) attributes have especially been beneficial. The blind thrust related folding defined in this paper has no surface expressions unlike its counterparts related to the Ergani-Silvan and Mardin blind thrust zones located in the north and south, respectively. The depth and location of the blind thrusts and related structures defined in this paper suggest that they are younger than the buried thrusts and may represent the continuation of the Ergani-Silvan blind thrust.