Structural controls on distribution of dolines on Mount Anamas (Taurus Mountains, Turkey)

Abstract

Solution dolines are characteristic landforms on the high plateaus of the Taurus Mountains. In this study, the effects of tectonic structures, drainage and slope conditions on the distribution and morphometric properties of dolines in the western part of the Central Taurus are explained. To delimit the dolines, 1/25000 scale topographic maps were used. The uppermost closed contour lines were digitized as polygons and the elevation, long and short axes, elongation ratios, orientation angles of the polygons were calculated. The doline density is compared with drainage density and mean slope values. A total of 111 rose diagrams were created in order to illustrate the superficial distribution of orientation. As a result, a total of 10,652 dolines were detected in a 711 km2 doline area and maximum density reaches 123 dolines/km2. However, according to the doline density, two distinct regions were detected, high density (R1) and low density (R2). Correlations between drainage density, slope angle and doline density are negative in the two regions. According to negative correlations, the drainage density is not a determinant factor in R1, while it is a determinant factor in R2. A 30° slope angle (in km2) limits doline distribution on the plateau surface.The orientation of all doline long axes is NW-SE, which is parallel to the general orographic extent of Mount Anamas. However, different orientations were detected and these orientations were showed in farther sub-regions according to the 111 gridded rose diagrams. The overall result of this study is that the fault and joint systems that developed on the thick-bedded limestone between thrust faults affected the doline density, while lateral strike-slip, normal faults and joint systems in front of the thrust belt were more effective on the geometric shapes of dolines.