Onset of Maikop sedimentation in the Talysh (Azerbaijan): climate or tectonics?

The Maikop series are composed of a thick succession of black shales, and are considered the most important source rock for hydrocarbons in the Caspian basin. The type section of this formation is located near the city of Maykop in Russia, north of the Greater Caucasus. Corresponding anoxic sediments can be traced in a vast area from Austria to...