Tectonic structure and evolution of the Hissar–Alay Mountain Domain and the Pamirs

The paper presents a comparative description of two large mountain systems in the intracontinental Eurasian Orogen: the Hissar (Gissar)–Alay Mountain Domain (MD) and the Pamirs (or Pamir). It has been established that the Hissar–Alay MD and the Pamirs substantially differ in morphostructure, geometry, tectonic style, the set of kinematic parageneses, sequence of events, and the manifestation of magmatism, metamorphism, and recent orogeny. These regions belong to different segments of the Earth’s crust. In other words, they represent two distinct historical–structural–geological provinces belonging to different mobile belts of Asia: the Hissar–Alay MD is incorporated into the structure of the Central Asian (Ural–Mongolia) Belt in contrast to the Pamirs, which is a constituent of the Alpine–Himalayan Belt. The Hissar (Gissar)–Alay MD and the Pamirs formed independently and did not reveal significant geodynamic interaction.