The Greater Caucasus mountain range marks this boundary and has been formed in the last 5 million years.

The current deformation front is formed by the Kula fold and thrust belt, which has been active for the last 1.5 million years.Long term convergence rates across this belt have been estimated to be in the range 7–14 mm per year, while GPS data give a current convergence rate of 10 mm per year near the Caspian Sea, decreasing westwards to 4 mm per year near Tbilisi.

[4] Paleoseismological investigations near Agsu, across the trace of the frontal thrust fault have found evidence for two earthquakes that may represent the events in 1668 and 1902.

[4] Mishlesh in Dagestan was affected by an earthquake at about the same period as the one that struck Shamakhi and if this was the same event, a rupture of 150 km could be indicated.

[3] Landslides were mentioned in historical sources and some of the roads were so badly damaged that caravans had to find alternative routes.