Tuz Golu Research Articles

The crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate from receiver functions and implications for the uplift of the central and eastern Anatolian plateaus

SUMMARYUnderstanding the crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate has important implications for its formation and evolution, including the extent to which its high elevation is maintained isostatically. However, the numerous teleseismic receiver function studies from which Anatolian Moho depths have been obtained return results that differ by ≤21 km at some seismograph stations. To address this issue, we determine Moho depth and bulk crustal VP/VS ratio (κ) at 582 broad-band seismograph stations, including ∼100 for which H–κ results have not been reported previously. We use a modified H–κ stacking method in which a final solution is selected from a suite of up to 1000 repeat H–κ measurements, each calculated using randomly selected receiver functions and H–κ input parameters. Ten quality control criteria that variously assess the final numerical result, the receiver function data set, and the extent to which the results are clustered tightly, are used to determine station quality. By refining Moho depth constraints, including identifying 182 stations, analysed previously, where H–κ stacking yields unreliable results (particularly in Eastern Anatolia and the rapidly uplifting Taurides), our new crustal model (ANATOLIA-HK21) provides fresh insight into Anatolian crustal structure and topography. Changes in Moho depth within the Anatolian Plate occur on a shorter length-scale than has sometimes previously been assumed. For example, crustal thickness decreases abruptly from >40 km in the northern Kirsehir block to <32 km beneath the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province and Tuz Golu basin. Moho depth increases from 30–35 km on the Arabian Plate to 35–40 km across the East Anatolian Fault into Anatolia, in support of structural geological observations that Arabia–Anatolia crustal shortening was accommodated primarily on the Anatolian, not Arabian, Plate. However, there are no consistent changes in Moho depth across the North Anatolian Fault, whose development along the Intra-Pontide and İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zones was more likely the result of contrasts in mantle lithospheric, not crustal, structure. While the crust thins from ∼45 km below the uplifted Eastern Anatolian Plateau to ∼25 km below lower-lying western Anatolia, Moho depth is generally correlated poorly with elevation. Residual topography calculations confirm the requirement for a mantle contribution to Anatolian Plateau uplift, with localized asthenospheric upwellings in response to slab break-off and/or lithospheric dripping/delamination example candidate driving mechanisms.

Tuz Gölü Fay Zonu (TGFZ) Güney Kesimine ait Tektonik Hareketlerin GNSS Gözlemleri ile İzlenmesi

Günümüzde aktif fayların yakın alanlarına kurulan deformasyon ağlarının GNSS tekniği ile izlenmesi sonucunda depreme ait zamanı belirlemek mümkün olmasa da faylar üzerinde biriken gerilmeler yardımıyla muhtemel deprem konumları tahmin edilebilmektedir. Orta Anadolu Neotektonik Bölgesini, Konya-Eskişehir ve Kayseri-Sivas Neotektonik Bölgeleri olmak üzere iki alt neotektonik bölgeye ayıran bir geçiş zonu olan yaklaşık 220 km uzunluğundaki Tuz Gölü Fay Zonu (TGFZ)’nun kırılması durumunda büyüklüğü (M) yaklaşık 6-7 olan bir depreme sebep olabileceği bilinmektedir. Fay zonunun bu potansiyeli dikkate alınarak, bulunduğu alanda meydana gelen deformasyonların hesaplanması amacıyla Tuz Gölü Fay Zonu’nun Güney Kesiminde doğu-batı yönlü profil şeklinde 24 adet nirengi tesisi kurulmuştur. Oluşturulan ağda 2018-2019 yıllarında 3 periyot GNSS ölçüsü yapılmış ve elde edilen sonuçlar GAMIT/GLOBK yazılım takımı ile değerlendirilerek bölgenin güncel hız haritası elde edilmiştir. Yapılan çalışmada, Tuz Gölü Fay Zonu Güney kesiminde Avrasya referans sistemi sabit olmak üzere yıllık 10 ile 35 mm arasında batı ve kuzey batı yönünde bir hareket belirlenmiştir. Noktalara ait standart sapma değerleri 2-6 mm arasında değişmektedir. İlerleyen yıllarda yapılan yeni kampanya ölçüleri ile birlikte standart sapma değerlerinin azalacağı düşünülmektedir.

Tuz Gölünde Rekreasyonel Turizm Olanaklarının Belirlenmesi

Salt Lake, located in the Central Anatolia Region, is a prominent lake with its geological structure. The natural values of the salt lake; The source of salt, flora and fauna characteristics, natural landscape quality. Natural resources can be used irreversibly if used over self-renewal power. Determining the goals and strategies for the planning and management of the Tuz Golu, whose natural structure is under threat and depreciated visually, is a priority issue. The purpose of this research is; Salt lake in Turkey, an important geological heritage area and thus to determine the recreational tourism facilities, tourism and recreation as how to use this field to contribute to topics that will be developed and managed. Research method; It is based on the analysis of the data obtained from the literature research and field study by SWOT method and its evaluation according to the purpose. SWOT analysis is the most important and first step in the creation of plan decisions. SWOT analysis is a method that can be used in many different areas and it has been used as a method in the field of recreational tourism planning. In this study; It is emphasized that the salt lake is an important natural landscape on the global scale with its flora and fauna and it is emphasized that the use of Tuz Golu is protected. As a result, natural and sensitive landscaping character of this area were determined according to the creative activities and suggestions were developed accordingly.

Geomorphology and tephrochronology review of the Hasandağ volcano (southern Cappadocia, Turkey)

This research proposes a suite of volcanic events that took part in the edification of the double-peaked Hasandag stratovolcano in southern Cappadocia. Inter-correlations of sections dispatched along geographic transects across the volcano evidence continuities/discontinuities and stratigraphic relationships using key layers identified through this process which is, later, framed by a radiometric dating control of some of these formations. The main goal is to provide some chronological markers of the geomorphological evolution of the volcano. The stratigraphy, lithology and facies, the landform definitions and new dates provide information about eruption types and their role in shaping the morphologies of the volcano through time. Recent ages from literature and seven new K/Ar dates contribute in enriching the story of the volcanic activity that built the Hasandag stratovolcano landforms. The part of the story exposed in this article starts mainly c. 700/650 ka ago with the construction of a Mid-Pleistocene volcano. Later, between 220 and 120 ka ago, main events occurred in the NE part of the volcano. After an initial Plinian eruption, a caldera collapse is recorded by pumice flows. Close to the emission point, a small collapse structure is today filled with a much younger dacite flow. After the Plinian eruption, the partial destruction of a volcano caused one or two avalanches containing several meters-thick distinct blocks that flew north c. 16–18 km over the roof of the Cappadocian Miocene ignimbrites. Remains of the destructed volcano flanks are not visible. Either they are buried below younger lava flows forming the Kucuk Hasandag cone, or a seism in the Tuz Golu Fault Zone during the avalanche may have resulted in an explosion. This event was followed by extrusion of rhyolitic domes positioned on the caldera rim, emitting pumice falls now filling-in the Guvercin valley stream down to Ihlara village. During Late Pleistocene emission of andesite and dacite flows and domes, accompanied by several pyroclastic flows formed today’s terminal cones of the stratovolcano.

Geomorphological evolutionary history of the Melendiz River Valley, Cappadocia, Turkey

The Melendiz River is located at the east of Tuz Golu Fault Zone in western Cappadocia. In the central part of Melendiz River Valley, Ihlara Canyon attracts many tourists due to its landscape, cultural and archaeological values. The Melendiz Valley also encompasses geological and geomorphological features that exemplify the evolutionary history of western Cappadocia. In this study, the late Miocene–Quaternary geomorphological evolution of the Melendiz River Valley was investigated. The results indicate that a fluvial sedimentary sequence with ignimbrite intercalation was deposited during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. This was unconformably overlain by lacustrine limestone (Kisladag Formation) of Pliocene age. The Pliocene lake regressed westward because of the changes in the tectonic regime and geomorphological processes during the late Pliocene (~ 3 Ma ago) and the initial Melendiz River developed on the lake bottom. During the Quaternary the Melendiz River developed under the control of both the neotectonic regime and the climate. This development provoked a 160-m-deep incision into the Pliocene sediments and the early Pliocene–Miocene ignimbrites below, giving birth to the Ihlara Canyon. In the proper valley of the Melendiz River, six strath terraces and Holocene flood plain record the incision process.

Prediction of pressure and temperature changes in the salt caverns of Tuz Golu underground natural gas storage site while withdrawing or injecting natural gas by numerical simulations

Tuz Golu (Salt Lake) Underground Gas Storage (UGS) Project in Turkey is being implemented. In some of salt caverns, natural gas is currently stored. While analyzing the data of Tuz Golu UGS project, it was observed that this location is appropriate for safe underground natural gas storage due to its rock salt with high purity and very low permeability. In this study, many numerical simulations for a salt cavern in Tuz Golu UGS project at different gas withdrawal and injection rates were conducted by using TOUGH + RealGasBrine simulator. According to the results of these numerical simulations, the temperature inside salt cavern reduced below 0 °C from 53 °C within 20 days at a rate of gas withdrawal of 3.33 million standard m3/day due to Joule-Thomson effect. The temperature inside salt cavern reduced below 0 °C within 25 days, 40 days, and 60 days at a rate of gas withdrawal of 2.5, 1.67, and 0.833 million standard m3, respectively. In order to avoid fracture around the walls of salt cavern, the temperature change inside salt cavern should not be higher than 30 °C. In the numerical simulations, there is no gas seepages from the salt cavern to other neighbor salt caverns, which are 600 m away owing to very low permeability of salt rock in the study area. The implication of this study is that gas withdrawal and gas injection profiles are quite important to keep the temperature inside salt caverns at an optimum range for safe natural gas storage.

U/Th Dating of the Akhüyük Fissure Ridge Travertines in Ereğli, Konya (Central Anatolia, Turkey): Their Relationship to Active Tectonics

Fissure ridge travertines that form the Akhuyuk travertine mass are located in Central Anatolia and are exposed in an area of 1.5 km $$^{2}$$ with N30 $$^{\circ }$$ W direction. These fissure ridge travertines have ages determined between 3345 ± 105 yr and 47850 ± 980 yr by U-series dating methods. Development of the travertines can be correlated with faults that have been active since the late Pleistocene. The dilation rate in the Eregli (Konya) basin was determined using age data and the widths of the banded travertines at the opening center of the fissure ridge travertines. The dilation rate for the formation of Akhuyuk travertines yields 0.025–0.05 mm yr $$^{-1}$$ on average. When considering positions and extension directions of fissure ridge travertines, they are consistent with the Tuz Golu Fault Zone which is one of the most important structures in the region. The maximum earthquake intensity potential in this region is estimated to be $$M_\mathrm{s}$$ 6.3, when the dilation rate of the fissure ridge travertines is taken to be 0.05 mm yr $$^{-1}$$ and with a 10,000-year earthquake recurrence interval.

The Çevre Kale fortress and the outer enclosure on the Karacadağ at Yaraşlı

In 1992 an aerial survey of the Iron Age fortress of Cevre Kale was made using a tethered helium-filled blimp. This fortress is located on the slopes of the Karacadag above the large village of Yarasli, close to the northeast corner of Tuz Golu, the Salt Lake (Fig. 1). That brief survey was focussed on the highly visible fortress together with the obvious traces of extra mural settlement that lay immediately to the southwest. At that time the southwestern stretch of the huge, 11 km long, wall...

In silico characterization of a novel dehalogenase (DehHX) from the halophile Pseudomonas halophila HX isolated from Tuz Gölü Lake, Turkey: insights into a hypersaline-adapted dehalogenase

Halogenated compounds represent potential long-term threats to human well-being and health and, therefore, the quest for microorganisms capable of degrading these hazardous substances merits urgent consideration. We have isolated a novel dehalogenase-producing bacterium from the hypersaline environment of Tuz Golu Lake, Turkey and subsequently identified this isolate as Pseudomonas halophila HX. Under optimal culture conditions (pH 8.0, 15% NaCl, 30 °C, 200 rpm, 96 h culture time), the strain almost completely degraded (99.3%) 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (20 mM). The dehalogenase gene (dehHX) of the bacterium was amplified by PCR, and the deduced amino acid sequence of the DehHX was found to belong to a Group I dehalogenase and to share an 82% sequence identity to the dehalogenase DehI of Pseudomonas putida strain PP3. Interestingly, the pI of DehHX was more acidic (pI 3.89) than those of the non-halophilic dehalogenases (average measured pI 5.95). Homology-based structural modeling revealed that the surface of DehHX was unusually negatively charged due to the higher presence of acidic residues, which accounts for the uncommonly low pI seen in DehHX and explains the mechanism of adaptation that contributes to the exceptional halotolerance of the enzyme. The excess surface acidic residues were beneficial in enhancing the water-binding capacity, a crucial feature for preserving the stability and solubility of DehHX in highly saline conditions. In summary, we suggest that bio-prospecting for halogenated compound-degrading microorganisms in highly saline environments is a practical and safe strategy for the bioremediation of contaminated coastal areas.

Facies characteristics and reservoir properties of the Paleocene carbonates (Çaldağ Formation) in the Tuz Gölü Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract The Tuz Golu Basin is one of the largest interior petroleum exploration basins in the Central Anatolian, Turkey, composed of mainly Upper Cretaceous to Tertiary shallow water carbonates and siliciclastics. Caldag Formation is composed of mainly carbonates, siliciclastic, lacustrine carbonate that are outcropped in limited areas to the east (Paleocene) and west of the basin (Late Paleocene), and also penetrated in a well. They can be also found as gravels and large blocks in the Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene units to east of the basin. The Formation were probably deposited in an environment where tectonic was active under the control of the paleo-topography, substratum type and sea level changes. Outcropped carbonates are dominantly in the packstone–wackestone facies including boundstone compositions, and having minor intergranular porosity, fracture and stylolitation (0.10% to 3.67% and 0.01 to 4.10 mD). Carbonate and secondarily iron oxide cementation has played a significant role reducing porosity and pore space. However, the well log data indicate that they are composed of limestone, dolomite and sandstone that could bear a moderate to good reservoir rock potential intervals based on porosity values (between 2.5 and 24.5%). Stratigraphic position and sedimentological properties indicate that the outcropped and penetrated carbonates by well could not be evaluated as autochthonous at the east of the basin. Our results suggest that possibility of the Paleocene unites reservoir potential is questionable in the Tuz Golu Basin.

Origin of carbon dioxide occurrences in Central Anatolia (Turkey)

Copyright © 2015 by The Geochemical Society of Japan. ignimbrite eruption (11–2.8 Ma), and c) the formation of stratovolcanoes, such as Erciyes, Melendiz Dag, and Hasan Dag, as well as numerous small monogenetic centers that erupted during the late Pliocene until recent times (Piper et al., 2002). The CO2 produced from different geological units and reservoirs exhibits different chemical characteristics. Previously published water chemistry data are presented in Table 1. The Karbogaz Field (Aksaray) is located in the eastern corner of the Tuz Golu Basin. Two superimposed aquifers are located within the field: the lower confined (gypsum, siltstone, and sandstone) and the upper unconfined (alluvium). The lower confined aquifer contains a high amount of dissolved CO2 (20–30 mg/L) (Geosan, 1998). According to their chemical composition, the wellhead waters are defined as Na–Ca–HCO3–Cl-type waters (Table 1). The wellhead waters within the Bozkar Field are defined as Na–Cl-type waters and the amount of dissolved CO2 is 469.45 mg/L (Table 1). The Guneygaz–Kemerhisar Field, located to the south of the city Nigde, consists of two aquifers: tuffites and alluvium. The Kemerhisar region wellhead waters have a similar chemical composition to the Na–Cl-type water. While shallow reservoir water contains only small amounts of dissolved CO2 (2–21 mg/L), the water within the tuffite aquifer has a high concentration of CO2 (102.8–1,280.7 mg/L) (Table 1) (Geosan, 1998). In the Karapιnar Field (Konya Province), water samples indicate predominantly Na–Cl/Ca–Mg–HCO3-type waters. The amount of dissolved CO2 varies in the range from 395.11 to 1,041.24 mg/L (Table 1). Origin of carbon dioxide occurrences in Central Anatolia (Turkey)

Land subsidence in Konya Closed Basin and its spatio-temporal detection by GPS and DInSAR

Konya Closed Basin that includes two depression blocks, Konya and Tuz Golu, is the biggest endorheic basin in Turkey. A lowering in the ground levels of the depositional areas has been shown with respect to the surrounding mountains. In the past, this process was controlled by geological and hydrogeological phenomena; nowadays, it has gained a new dimension due to the excessive pumping of groundwater to the Earth’s surface. The geodetic techniques such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) reveal a considerable land subsidence resulting in the rate of 1–4 cm/year in Konya sub-basin. It seems that the calculated amounts are responsible for changing environmental conditions like seasonality. Both GPS and differential InSAR techniques verify these relatively small fluctuations in the subsidence development. Target districts that should be observed primarily are agricultural zones where groundwater is overused for irrigation and regions where human population density is high. The geocoded interferogram and vegetation index map verify the spatial relation between the subsidence and green areas. In this study, a project dealing with the investigation of the land subsidence occurrences and of their possible causes and consequences within a specific part of Konya Closed Basin is introduced.

Relationship between Akhüyük fissure ridge travertines and active tectonics: their neotecteonic significance (Ereğli-Konya, Central Anatolia)

The Akhuyuk travertine mass crops out approximately 10 km to the north of Eregli (Konya, Central Anatolia). Its morphology and relationship with the main controlling fault zones are investigated. The morhpological properties of six different fissure ridge travertines which make up the travertine mass are classified into four groups based on their geometrical properties and orientation. The fissure ridge travertines having a banded travertine thickness of 120 and 170 cm are considered as the oldest travertines in the study area. Sill-like structures and dilation are observed, indicative of the ongoing deformation after travertine precipitation. The height-to-width ratio of the fissure ridge travertines vary between 0.08 and 0.5. The morhological structures and parameters observed in the fissure ridge travertines are interpreted to stem from the low deformation rate in the study area. The relationship of the formation of the Akhuyuk Fissure Ridge travertine with the Tuz Golu (TGFZ) and Nigde fault zones (NFZ) is investigated. The TGFZ is determined to be the most significant structure that controls the Akhuyuk fissure ridge travertines based on the extension direction determined, the location of the travertines, and the fact that the faults on the central and southeastern end of the TGFZ display the active normal fault zone with a right-lateral strike-slip component.

Salt crust mineralogy and geochemical evolution of the Salt Lake (Tuz Gölü), Turkey

The Salt Lake (Tuz Golu) is the second largest lake in Turkey and also is one of the greatest salty lakes in the world. Salt Lake has a great salt potential. The salt was produced in large quantities on saltpans in the Salt Lake. In this study, a detailed mineralogical investigation was carried out with salt crust samples and unconsolidated muddy sediments, below the salt crust collected from the KaldA±rA±m Saltpan in the Salt Lake. The salt crust and below the salt crust (1 - 20 cm) evaporate mineralogy were determined by X-ray diffraction method. The analysis results show that the salt crust was in composition of halite, gypsum and kieserite; muddy sediments and below the salt crust which was in the composition of gypsum, magnesite, thenardite, polyhalite, aragonite and montmorillonite. The mineralogical variations of the participated salts indicated that, the chemical compositions of brines vary significantly between the Na-K-Mg-Ca-Cl type and the Na-K-Mg-Cl-SO4 type. Key words: Salt lake, solar evaporation, evaporates, salt crust, XRD, SEM.

Sustainable natural resource management and environmental assessment in the Salt Lake (Tuz Golu) Specially Protected Area

The Salt Lake Specially Protected Area is a unique ecosystem for both agricultural activities and natural life in Turkey. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop a conceptual land use strategy and methodology, taking into account ecological factors for regional development in the Salt Lake Specially Protected Area. A detailed Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis was done to create a comprehensive database including land use, land suitability, and environmental factors (soil, climate, water quality, fertilizing status, and heavy metal and pesticide pollution). The results of the land suitability survey for agricultural use showed that, while 62.6% of the study area soils were classified as best and relatively good, about 15% were classified as problematic and restricted lands, only 22.2% of the study area soils were not suitable for agricultural uses. However, this is not enough to derive maximum benefit with minimum degradation. Therefore, environmental factors and ecological conditions were combined to support this aim and to protect the ecosystem. Excessive irrigation practices, fertilizer and pesticide application, and incorrect management practices all accelerate salinization and degradation. In addition to this, it was found that a multi-layer GIS analysis made it easy to develop a framework for optimum land use and could increase the production yield preserving the environmental conditions. Finally, alternative management and crop patterns were undertaken to sustain this unique ecosystem, considering water, soil, climate, land use characteristics, and to provide guidance for planners or decision makers.

Characterization of extremely halophilic Archaea isolated from saline environment in different parts of Turkey

Ninety-five extremely halophilic strains were isolated from six distinct saline regions of Turkey by using complex medium containing 25% NaCl. The selected regions are Tuz Golu (salt lake), Ankara; Aci Lake, Denizli; Salda Lake, Denizli; Seyfe Lake, Kirsehir; Tuzla Lake, Kayseri; and Bolluk Lake, Konya. The isolated strains were tested for motility, Gram reaction, cell and colony morphologies, pigmentation, biochemical characteristics, and antibiotic sensitivities. According to membrane glycerol diether moieties and antibiotic susceptibilities, all isolated strains were found to belong to the domain Archaea. All isolates were examined for the presence of plasmids by agarose gel electrophoresis and it was established that most isolates contained plasmids that varied in number and whose molecular sizes ranged from 1 to 36.9 kbp. Whole-cell protein profiles from isolates were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and a similarity dendogram was constructed using the UPGMA method. Significant similarities and differences were observed among the isolates. The strains were clustered in eight groups and ten of our isolates were placed in the same group with the standard strains. The current study represents the first isolation and characterization of such a large collection of archeal strains from Turkey.

Aksaray and Ecemis Faults—Diapiric Salt Relationships: Relevance to the Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Tuz Golu (Salt Lake) Basin, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Due to activitiy of the Aksaray and Ecemis Faults, volcanic intrusion and westward movement of the Anatolian plate, diapiric salt structures were occurred in the Tuz Golu (Salt Lake) basin in central Anatolia, Turkey. With the collisions of the Arabian and Anatolian plates during the late Cretaceous and Miocene times, prominent ophiolitic obduction occurred in the Pontides and Taurides along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and East Anatolian Fault (EAF). The NAF and EAF intersect each other in the Karliova region, in eastern Turkey. At this point, due to the northward movement of the Arabian plate in SE Turkey, the Anatolian plate shifted toward the west and south along the fault zones. The same geological tectonic model is proposed at the intersection point of the Aksaray Fault (AF) and Ecemis Fault (EF) in central Anatolia. The westward movement of the Anatolian plate between these two faults resulted in the formation of the diapiric salt structures, volcanic intrusions and overpressure zones in the study area. Paleogeological reconstructions of the Tuz Golu basin indicate that the salient positive structures in the basin were formed during late Eocene-Oligocene times. These structures, like the Yeniceoba-Bezirci and Karapinar-Kochisar trends, are oriented in a NW-SE or N-S directions between the Kirsehir and Sivrihisar-Bozdag massifs. The subsidence rate and Paleogeographic evolutions in the basin show that the southeastern sector of the Tuz Golu basin remained shallower relative to the central and northwestern regions. Based on the paleostructural, subsidence and geothermal reconstructions, it has been concluded that the oil generation and migration zones and geothermal trends are oriented in a NW-SE direction in the Tuz Golu basin.

Tectonomagmatic Evolution of Bimodal Plutons in the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex, Turkey

Abstract The NW‐trending Agacoren Intrusive Suite (AIS) on the east side of the Salt Lake (Tuz Golu), Turkey, is part of a curvilinear volcanoplutonic complex along the western edge of the central Anatolian crystalline complex (CACC). Granitoids constitute the predominant lithological group within the AIS and range in composition from monzonite through granite to alkali feldspar granite. Gabbroic rocks occur as irregular intrusive bodies with sinusoidal, irregular contacts with the granitoid plutons and vary from dioritic compositions at the contacts to cumulate amphibole gabbros in their center. These gabbroid to granitoid rocks are all subalkaline and display tholeiitic to calcalkaline affinities, respectively. Modeling of the major element and trace element chemistry of the granitoids to gabbroids, together with their field relations, suggest that these rocks formed synchronously from a melt source that involved both mantle and crustal components. Mafic magmas were likely derived from a metasomatized u...

A seismic refraction study of the western Tuz Gölü basin, central Turkey

Summary In 1970, the Turkish Petroleum Company carried out a seismic refraction experiment in the Tuz Golu (Salt Lake) basin of central Turkey. We present our interpretation, using time-term analysis and ray tracing, of data from one of the two lines shot. This confirms the presence of a thick sequence of sedimentary layers varying from about 3 km below the southwestern end of the profile to about 10 km at two points along the line. A P-wave velocity of 4.0–4.2 km s−1 found beneath the low-velocity surface layer indicates that the principal sedimentary layer consists of evaporites. The lowermost layer of the model has a P-wave velocity of 6.15 km s−1 which is consistent with the sedimentary layers being underlain either by Cretaceous metamorphic basement or by lavas of andesitic type. The extensive coverage provided by this data set has enabled the construction of a detailed 2-D model which shows the complex topography of the subsurface layers. We identify two major faults and one minor fault affecting both the basement and overlying layers. The character of these features and the associated layer displacements leads us to speculate that these may be growth faults associated with the Aksaray-Sereflikochisar and Karapinar-Cihanbeyli-Haymana hinge structures which have controlled the development of the Tuz Golu basin.

Pollutant transport study for Tuz Gölü

The results of a predictive pollutant transport study for Tuz Golu (Salt Lake), Turkey, is described. The present and future 5 Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) and Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) profiles of the drainage canal of Konya Plain, which carries pollutants to Tuz Golu, are presented. The one‐dimensional pollutant transport model, which includes advection, dispersion, dilution, biochemical reaction and aeration mechanisms, was utilized to determine the profiles. Present and future BOD5 loads, under different water pollution control alternatives for Tuz Golu; and a comparison of the estimated values with the predictions under present conditions are also presented.