Tectonic uplift producing recent mountain systems has spanned in the Alpine-Himalayan Belt the time interval from Oligocene to Recent (the last 30 - 35 Ma), being divided into two stages. During the first stage, local uplands, usually not higher than middle-elevated mountains, rose and their total area increased. During the second stage (the last 5 - 2 Ma) this process was accompanied by a total uplift of the greater part of the belt. As a result, the rate of vertical movements increased, the recent mountain systems were formed, and the coarse molasses accumulated in the adjacent basins. Uplift of the land surface resulting in formation of mountain topography is an isostatic reaction to decompaction of the upper spheres of the Solid Earth. Three factors of the decompaction are discussed in the paper. These are: I, collisional compression, resulting in deformational thickening of the Earth’s crust (folding, thrusting, etc.); II, partial replacing of the lithosphere mantle by the lower-dense asthenosphere material and, as a result, decompaction of the uppermost mantle; and III, retrograde metamorphism of high-metamorphosed rocks within the lower crust and near the crust-mantle boundary and, as a result, decompaction of these rocks. These processes were initiated or facilitated by the lateral asthenosphere flows . According to the seismic tomography data, the flows spread from the stationary developed zone of the rise of deep mantle material that is expressed in the recent structure as the Ethiopian-Afar super-plume. Reworking the 400 - 700-km deep transition layer of the mantle, the sub-lithosphere flows could be enriched in sources of aqueous fluids. The flows and their fluids initiated factors II and III of the tectonic uplift and caused softening and detachment of the lithosphere, facilitating deformational thickening of the Earth’s crust, i.e ., the factor I. The latter produced uplands during the entire Oligocene-Quaternary development of the orogenic belt, while the factors II and III manifested themselves only during the second stage of mountain building. The detailed studies in the Central Tien Shan and the Greater Caucasus showed that the acceleration of uplift at the second stage was caused mainly by the factor II in the Central Tien Shan and the factor III in the Greater Caucasus.
Artyushkov, E.V. (1993) Physical Tectonics. Nauka, Moscow, 456 p. (in Russian)
Sokolov, S.Y. and Trifonov, V.G. (2012) Role of the Asthenosphere in Transfer and Deformation of the Lithosphere: The Ethiopian-Afar Superplume and the Alpine-Himalayan Belt. Geotectonics, 46, 171-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852112030053
Trifonov, V.G. (2012) Problems of Mountain Building: Alpine-Himalayan Belt. In: Tectonophysics and Actual Problems of the Earth Sciences 1, Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, 99-109. (in Russian)
Trifonov, V.G., Artyushkov, E.V., Dodonov, A.E., Bachmanov, D.M., Mikolaichuk, A.V. and Vishnyakov, F.A. (2008) Pliocene-Quaternary Orogeny in the Central Tien Shan. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 49, 98-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rgg.2007.06.012
Trifonov, V.G., Ivanova, T.P. and Bachmanov, D.M. (2012) Evolution of the Central Part of the Alpine-Himalayan Belt in the Late Cenozoic. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 53, 289-304.
Trifonov, V.G., Ivanova, T.P. and Bachmanov, D.M. (2012) Recent Mountain Building in Geodynamic Evolution of the Central Alpine-Himalayan Belt. Geotectonics, 46, 315-332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852112050068
Bazhenov, M.L. and Burtman, V.S. (1990) Structural Arcs of the Alpine Belt: Carpathians-Caucasus-Pamirs. Nauka, Moscow, 167 p. (in Russian)
Trifonov, V.G. (1999) Neotectonics of Eurasia. Nauchnyi Mir, Moscow, 254 p. (in Russian)
Burtman, V.S. and Samygin, S.G. (2001) Tectonic Evolution of High Asia in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Geotectonics, 35, 276-294.
Ivanova, T.P. and Trifonov, V.G. (2005) Neotectonics and Mantle Earthquakes in the Pamir-Hindu Kush Region. Geotectonics, 39, 56-68.
Molnar, P. and Chen, W.P. (1978) Evidence for Large Cenozoic Crustal Shortening of Asia. Nature, 273, 218-220. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/273218a0
Golonka, J. (2004) Plate Tectonic Evolution of the Southern Margin of Eurasia in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Tectonophysics, 381, 235-273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2002.06.004
Robertson, A., UnlUgenc, U.C., Inan, N. and Tasli, K. (2004) The Misis-Andirin Complex: A Mid-Tertuary Melange Related to Late-Stage Subduction of the Southern Neotethys in S Turkey. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 22, 413-453. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1367-9120(03)00062-2
Leonov, Y.G. (Ed.) (2007) Alpine History of the Great Caucasus. GEOS, Moscow, 368 p. (in Russian)
Kaz’min, V.G., Lobkovsky, L.I. and Tikhonova, N.F. (2010) Late Cretaceous-Paleogene Deepwater Basin of North Afganistan and the Central Pamirs: Issue of Hindu Kush Earthquakes. Geotectonics, 44, 127-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852110020032
Gubin, I.E. (Ed.) (1986) Lithosphere of the Tien Shan. Nauka, Moscow, 158 p. (in Russian)
Shults, S.S. (1948) Analysis of Neotectonics and Relief of Tien Shan. Geographgiz, Moscow, 224 p. (in Russian)
Makarov, V.I. (1977) Recent Tectonic Structure of the Central Tien Shan. Nauka, Moscow, 172 p. (in Russian)
Krestnikov, V.N., Belousov, T.P., Ermilin, V.I., Chigarev, N.V. and Shtange, D.V. (1979) The Quaternary Tectonics of the Pamirs and Tien Shan. Nauka, Moscow, 116 p. (in Russian)
Dmitriyeva, E.L. and Nesmeyanov, S.A. (1982) Mammals and Stratigraphy of Tertiary Continental Deposits in South-Eastern Middle Asia. Nauka, Moscow, 140 p. (in Russian)
Chediya, O.K. (1986) Morphostructures and Recent Tectogenesis of the Tien Shan. Ilim, Frunze, 315 p. (in Russian)
Krylov, A.Y. (1960) The Absolute Age of Rocks of the Central Tien Shan and Application of the Ar Method to Metamorphic and Sedimentary Rocks. Proceedings of the 21st IGC. Publ. of Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, 222-244. (in Russian)
Simonov, V.A., Mikolaichuk, A.V., Kovyazin, S.V., Travin, A.V., Buslov and M.M., Sobel, E.R. (2005) Meso-Cenozoic Plume Magmatism in the Central Tien Shan: Age and Physicochemical Characteristics. In: Geodynamics and Geoecology of the Highland Regions in the 21st Century. The 3rd International Symposium. Scientific Station of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bishkek, 182-186. (in Russian)
Bachmanov, D.M., Trifonov, V.G., Mikolaychuk, A.V., Vishnyakov, F.A. and Zarshchikov, A.A. (2008) The Minkush-Kokomeren Zone of Recent Transpression in the Middle Tien Shan. Geotectonics, 42, 186-205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852108030035
Bachmanov, D.M., Trifonov, V.G., Mikolaychuk, A.V., Dodonov, A.E., Zarshchikov, A.A. and Vishnyakov, F.A. (2009) Neotectonic Evolution of the Central Tien Shan by the Data on Structure of Late Cenozoic Basins. In: Geodynamics of Intra-Continental Orogens and Geo-Ecological Problems, Scientific Station of the RAS, Bishkek, 12-19. (in Russian)
Yakovlev, F.L. (2012) Reconstruction of the Balanced Structure of the Eastern Part of Alpine Greater Caucasus Using Data from Quantitative Analysis of Linear Folding—Case Study. Bulletin of Kamchatka Regional Association “Educational-Scientific Center”, Earth Science, 19, 191-214. (in Russian)
Yin, A., Nie, S., Craig, P., Harrison, T.M., Ruerson, F.J., Xianglin, Q. and Geng, Y. (1998) Late Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of the Southern Chinese Tien Shan. Tectonics, 17, 1-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/97TC03140
Zubovich, A.V., Trapeznikov, Y.A., Bragin, V.D., Mosienko, O.I., Shchelochkov, G.G., Rybin, A.K. and Batalev, V.Y. (2001) Deformation Field, Deep Crustal Structure, and Spatial Seismicity Distribution in the Tien Shan. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 42, 1550-1557.
Laverov, N.P. and Makarov, V.I. (Eds.) (2005) Recent Geodynamics of Intra-Continental Areas of Collisional Orogeny (Central Asia). Nauchnyi Mir, Moscow, 400 p. (in Russian)
Zubovich, A.V., Wang, X., Scherba, Y.G., Schelochkov, G.G., Reilinger, R., Reigber, C., Mosienko, O.I., Molnar, P., Michaljow, W. and Makarov, V.I. (2010) GPS Velocity Field for the Tien Shan and Surrounding Regions. Tectonics, 29, Article No. TC6014.
Burtman, V.S. (2012) Geodynamics of Tibet, Tarim, and the Tien Shan in the Late Cenozoic. Geotectonics, 46, 185-211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852112030028
Molnar, P. and Ghose, S. (2000) Seismic Moment of Major Earthquakes and the Rate of Shortening across the Tien Shan. Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 2377-2380. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2000GL011637
Abdrakhmatov, K.E., Weldon, R., Thompson, S., Burbank, D., Rubin, Ch., Miller, M. and Molnar, P. (2001) Onset, Style, and Current Rate of Shortening in the Central Tien Shan (Kyrgyzstan). Russian Geology and Geophysics, 42, 1502-1526.
Trifonov, V.G., Soboleva, O.V., Trifonov, P.V. and Vostrikov, G.A. (2002) Recent Geodynamics of the Alpine-Himalayan Collision Belt. GEOS, Moscow, 225 p.
Milanovsky, E.E. and Khain, V.E. (1963) Geological Structure of the Caucasus. Lomonosov’s University Press, Moscow, 358 p. (in Russian)
Panov, D.I. (1988) Structural-Facial Zoning of the Greater Caucasus at the Early-Alpine Stage of Evolution (Early and Middle Jurassic). Bulletin of the Moscow Society for Natural Research, Geological Section, 63, 13-24. (in Russian)
Scherba, I.G. (1993) Stages and Phases of Cenozoic Development of Alpine Fold Belt. Nauka, Moscow, 231 p. (in Russian)
Marinin, A.V. and Rastsvetaev, L.M. (2008) Strustural Parageneses of North-Western Caucasus. Problems of Tectonophysics, Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, 191-224. (in Russian)
Gamkrelidze, P.D. and Gamkrelidze, I.P. (1965) Tectonic Nappes in the Southern Slope of the Greater Caucasus. Proceedings of Geological Institute of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, New Series 57, Metsniereba, Tbilisi. (in Russian)
Panov, D.I. (2002) Tectonic Structure of the Jurassic Terrigenious Complex of the Greater Caucasus: Mechanism and Age of Formation. Proceedings of the North-Caucasus Technical University, Series of Tectonics & Geodynamics, No. 1, 60-70. (in Russian)
Yakovlev, F.L. (2006) Design of Relief of the Cover/Basement Surface, According to Estimation of Value of Fold Structure Shortening. In: Regions of Active Tectonogenesis in Recent and Old History of the Earth, Vol. 2, GEOS, Moscow, 411-415. (in Russian)
Yakovlev, F.L. (2008) First Variant of the 3D Model of Sedimentary Cover Structure in the North-Western Caucasus, According to the Data on Fold Deformation Field. Problems of Tectonophysics, Institute of Physics of the Earth, Moscow, 335-345. (in Russian)
Kopp, M.L. and Scherba, I.G. (1993) Relationships of Tectonic and Eustatic Factors in Development of the Cenozoic Basins of the Northern Mediterranean Belt. Bulletin of the Moscow Society for Natural Research, Geological Section 68, 15-31. (in Russian)
Krasnopevtseva, G.V. (1984) Deep Structure of the Caucasus Seismically Active Region. Nauka, Moscow, 109 p. (in Russian)
Grekov, I.I., Korsakov, S.G., Kompaniets, M.A., Lavrishchev, V.A., Pis’mennyi, A.N. and Semenukha, I.N. (2008) Geoelectric Model of the Earth’s Crust of the Russian Sector of the Greater Caucasus. In: General and Regional Problems of Tectonics and Geodynamics 1, GEOS, Moscow, 239-244. (in Russian)
Milanovsky, E.E. (1968) Neotectonics of Caucasus. Nedra, Moscow, 483 p. (in Russian)
Polkanova, L.P. (Ed.) (1971) Map of Neotectonics of the South of the USSR, Scale 1:1000000. VNIGNI, Leningrad.
Dronov, V.I. (1980) Geology and Mineral Resources of Afghanistan. Book 1: Geology, Nedra, Moscow. (in Russian)
Aitchison, J.C., Ali, J.R. and Davis, A.M. (2007) When and Where Did India and Asia Collide? Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, 1-19.
Devyatkin, E.V. (1965) Cenozoic Sedimentary Rocks and Neotectonics of the Southeastern Altai. Nauka, Moscow. (in Russian)
Trifonov, V.G. (Ed.) (2012) Neotectonics, Recent Geodynamics and Seismic Hazard of Syria. GEOS, Moscow, 204 p.
Rukieh, M., Trifonov, V.G., Dodonov, A.E., Minini, H., Ammar, O., Ivanova, T.P., Zaza, T., Yusef, A., Al-Shara, M. and Jobaili, Y. (2005) Neotectonic Map of Syria and Some Aspects of Late Cenozoic Evolution of the North-Western Boundary Zone of the Arabian Plate. Journal of Geodynamics, 40, 235-256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2005.07.016
Artyushkov, E.V., Baer, M.A. and Morner, N.A. (1996) The East Carpathians: Indications of Phase Transitions, Lithospheric Failure and Decoupled Evolution of Thrust Belt and Its Foreland. Tectonophysics, 262, 101-132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(95)00207-3
Searle, M.P. (1996) Cooling History, Exhumation and Kinematics of the Himalaya-Karakorum-Tibet Orogenic Belt. In: Yin, A. and Harrison T.M., Eds., The Tectonic Evolution of Asia, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 110-137.
Tapponnier, P., Mattauer, M., Proust, F. and Cassaigneau, C. (1981) Mesozoic Ophiolites, Sutures, and Arge-Scale Tectonic Movements in Afghanistan. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 52, 355-371. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(81)90189-8
Bogachkin, B.M. (1981) History of Tectonic Evolution of the Gorni Altai in Cenozoic. Nauka, Moscow. (in Russian)
Ollier, C.D. (2006) Mountain Uplift and the Neotectonic Period. Annales of Geophysics, 49, 437-450.
Li, J.J., Shi, Y.F. and Li, B.Y. (1995) Uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau and Global Change. University Press, Lanzhou, 168 p.
He, M. and He, K. (1987) The Planation Surface of the Yunnan Plateau and Its Neotectonic Significance. Annals of Geomorphology. Neue Folge., 63, 51-56.
Shevchenko, V.I., Guseva, T.V., Lukk, A.A., Mishin, A.V., Prilepin, M.T., Reilinger, R.E., Hamburger, M.W., Shempelev, A.G. and Yunga, S.L. (1999) Recent Geodynamics of Caucasus by the Results of the GPS Measurements and Seismological Data. Physics of the Earth, 9, 3-18. (in Russian)
McClusky, S.C., Balassanian, S., Barka, A.A., Ergintav, S., Georgie, I., Gurkan, O., Hamburger, M., Hurst, K., Kahle, H., Kastens, K., Kekelidse, G., King, R., Kotzev, V., Lenk, O., Mahmout, S., Mishin, A., Nadaria, M., Ouzounis, A., Paradisissis, D., Peter, Y., Prilepin, M., Reilinger, R.E., Sanli, I., Seeger, H., Teableb, A., Toksoz, N. and Veis, V. (2000) Global Positioning System Constraints on Plate Kinematics and Dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean and Caucasus. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, 5695-5719.
Zhao, D. (2009) Multiscale Seismic Tomography and Mantle Dynamics. Gondwana Research, 15, 297-323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2008.07.003
Becker, T.W. and Boschi, L.A (2002) A Comparison of Tomographic and Geodynamic Mantle Models. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 3, Paper No. 2001GC000168.
Grand, S.P., Van der Hilst, R.D. and Widiyantoro, S. (1997) Global Seismic Tomography: A Snapshot of Convection in the Earth. GSA Today, 7, 1-7.
Van der Hilst, R.D., Widiyantoro, S. and Engdahl, E.R. (1997) Evidence of Deep Mantle Circulation from Global Tomography. Nature, 386, 578-584. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/386578a0
Zhao, D., Pirajno, F., Dobretsov, N.L. and Liu, L. (2010) Mantle Structure and Dynamics under East Russia and Adjacent Regions. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 51, 925-938. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rgg.2010.08.003
Leonov, M.G. (1975) Wild Flysch of the Alpine Region. Nauka, Moscow, 149 p. (in Russian)
Ringwood, A.E. (1975) Composition and Petrology of the Earth’s Mantle. McGraw-Hill, London, New York and Sydney, 618 p.
Ryabchikov, I.D. (2005) Mantle Magmas as a Sensor of the Composition of Deep Geospheres. Geology of Ore Deposits, 47, 455-468.
Pushcharovsky, Y.M. and Pushcharovsky, D.Y. (2010) Geology of the Earth’s Mantle. GEOS, Moscow, 140 p. (in Russian)
Smyth, J.R. (1994) A Crystallographic Model for Hydrous Wadsleyte: An Ocean in the Earth’s Interior? American Mineralogist, 79, 1021-1025.
Jacobsen, S.D., Demouchy, S., Frost, J.D., Ballaran, T.B. and Kung, J. (2005) A Systematic Study of OH in Hydrous Wadsleite from Polarized FTIR Spectroscopy and Single-Crystal X-Ray Diffraction: Oxygen Sites for Hydrogen Storage in Earth’s Interior. American Mineralogist, 90, 61-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/am.2005.1624
Lawrence, J.F. and Wysession, M.E. (2006) Seismic Evidence for Subduction Transported Water in the Lower Mantle. In: Jacobsen, S.V. and van der Lee S., Eds., Earth Deep Water Cycle, Geophysical Monograph Series 168, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, 251-261.
Kelbert, A., Schultz, A. and Egbert, G. (2009) Global Electromagnetic Induction Constraints on Transition-Zone Water Content Variations. Nature, 469, 1003-1006. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature08257
Letnikov, F.A. (2003) Magma-Forming Fluid Systems of Continental Lithosphere. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 44, 1219-1225.
Artyushkov, E.V. (2003) Abrupt Continental Lithosphere Weakening as a Precondition for Fast and Large-Scale Tectonic Movements. Geotectonics, 37, 107-123.
Koronovsky, N.V. and Demina, L.I. (1999) Collision Stage of the Evolution of the Caucasian Sector of the Alpine Foldbelt: Geodynamics and Magmatism. Geotectonics, 33, 102-118.
Karakhanian, A., Djrbashian, R., Trifonov, V., Philip, H., Arakelian, S. and Avagyan, A. (2002) Holocene-Historical Volcanism and Active Faults as Natural Risk Factor for Armenia and Adjacent Countries. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 113, 319-344. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0377-0273(01)00264-5
Wang, Y., Zhang, X.M., Jiang, C.S., Wei, H.Q. and Wan, J.L. (2007) Tectonic Controls on the Late Miocene-Holocene Volcanic Eruptions of the Tengchong Volcanic Field along the Southeastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 30, 375-389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2006.11.005
Trifonov, V.G., Dodonov, A.E., Sharkov, E.V., Golovin, D.I., Chernyshev, I.V., Lebedev, V.A., Ivanova, T.P., Bachmanov, D.M., Rukieh, M., Ammar, O., Minini, H., Al Kafri, A.M. and Ali, O. (2011) New Data on the Late Cenozoic Basaltic Volcanism in Syria, Applied to Its Origin. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 199, 177-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2010.01.013
Artemjev, M.E. (1975) Isostasy of the USSR Territory. Nauka, Moscow, 215 p. (in Russian).
Artemjev, M.E. and Kaban, M.K. (1994) Density Inhomogeneities, Isostasy and Flexural Rigidity of the Lithosphere in the Transcaspian Region. Tectonophysics, 240, 281-297. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(94)90276-3
Vinnik, L.P., Lukk, A.A. and Nersesov, I.L. (1977) Nature of the Intermediate Seismic Zone in the Mantle of the Pamir—Hindu-Kush. Tectonophysics, 38, T9-T14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(77)90208-6
Vinnik, L.P., Reigber, C., Aleshin, I.M., Kosarev, G.L., Kaban, M.K., Oreshin, S.I. and Roecker, S.V. (2004) Receiver Function Tomography of the Central Tien Shan. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 225, 131-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.05.039
Jimenez-Munt, I., Fernandez, M., Verges, J. and Platt, J.P. (2008) Lithosphere Structure underneath the Tibetan Plateau Inferred from Elevation, Gravity and Geoid Anomalies. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 267, 276-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2007.11.045
Li Z.W., Roeker, S., Li Z.H., Wei B., Wang H.T., Schelochkov, G. and Bragin, V. (2009) Tomographic Image of the Crust and upper Mantle beneath the Western Tien Shan from the MANAS Broadband Deployment: Possible Evidence for Lithospheric Delamination. Tectonophysics, 477, 1-102.
Kaban, M.K. (2000) Gravitational Model of the Lithosphere and Geodynamics. In: Grachev, A.F., Ed., Neotectonics, Geodynamics and Seismicity of the Northern Eurasia, Institute of Physics the Earth of the RAS and GEON, Moscow, 267-290. (in Russian)
Makarov, V.I., Alekseev, D.V., Batalev, V.Yu., Bataleva, E.A., Belyaev, I.V., Bragin, V.D., Dergunov, N.T., Efimova, N.N., Leonov, M.G., Munirova, L.M., Pavlenkin, A.D., Roeker, S.V., Roslov, Yu.V., Pybin, A.K. and Schelochkov, G.G. (2010) Underthrust of Tarim under the Tien Shan and Deep Structure of their Junction Zone: Main Results of Seismic Studies on the MANAS Profile (Kashgar-Song-kol). Geotectonics, 44, 102-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0016852110020020
Vinnik, L.P., Aleshin, I.M., Kaban, M.K., Kiselev, S.G., Kosarev, G.L., Oreshin, S.I. and Reigber, C. (2006) Crust and Mantle of the Tien Shan from Data of Receiver Function Tomography. Physics of the Earth, 42, 639-651. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S1069351306080027
Artyushkov, E.V. (2012) Neotectonic Crustal Uplifts as a Consequence of Mantle Fluid Infiltration into the Lithosphere. Russian Geology and Geophysics, 53, 738-760. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rgg.2012.04.005
Milanovsky, E.E., Rastsvetaev, L.M. and Kuhmazov, S.U. (1989) Modern Geodynamics of the Elbrus—Caucasus Mineral Waters Region of the North Caucasus. In: Geodynamics of Caucasus, Nauka, Moscow, 99-105. (in Russian)
Laverov, N.P. (Ed.) (2005) Modern and Holocene Volcanism in Russia. Nauka, Moscow, 604 p. (in Russian)
Ershov, A.V. and Nikishin, A.M. (2004) Recent Geodynamics of the Caucasus-Arabia-East Africa Region. Geotectonics, 38, 123-136.