Episodic,two-stage Neogene extension and short-term intervening compression in Western Turkey: field evidence from the Kiraz Basin and Bozdağ Horst

Western Anatolia (Turkey) is a region of widespread active N-S continental extension that forms the eastern part of the Aegean extensional province. The extension in the region is expressed by two distinct/different structural styles, separated by a short-term gap: (1) rapid exhumation of metamorphic core complexes along presently low-angle ductile-brittle normal faults commenced by the latest Oligocene-Early Miocene period, and; (2) late stretching of crust and, consequent graben evolution along Plio-Quaternary high-angle normal faults, cross-cutting the pre-existing low-angle normal faults. However, current understanding of the processes (tectonic quiescence vs N-S continental compression) operating during the short-time interval is incomplete. This paper therefore reports the results of recent field mapping and structural analysis from the NE of Küçük Menderes Graben—Kiraz Basin—that shed lights on the processes operating during this short-time interval. The data includes the thrusting of metamorphic rocks of the Menderes Massif over the Mio-Pliocene sediments along WNW-ESE-trending high-angle reverse fault and the development of compressional fabrics in the metamorphic rocks of the Menderes Massif. There, the metamorphic rocks display evidence for four distinct phases of deformation: (1) southfacing top-N ductile fabrics developed at relatively high-grade metamorphic conditions, possibly during the Eocene main Menderes metamorphism (amphibolite facies) associated with top-N thrust tectonics (D₁); (2) top-S and top-N ductile gentle-moderatley south-dipping extensional fabrics formed at relatively lower-grade metamorphic (possibly greenschist facies) conditions associated with the exhumation of Menderes Massif along presently low-angle normal fault plane that accompanied the first phase of extension (D₂); (3) moderately north-dipping top-S ductile-brittle fabrics, present configuration of which suggest a thrust-related compression (D₃); and (4) south-facing approximately E-W-trending brittle high-angle normal faults (D₄) that form the youngest structures in the region. It is interpreted that D₄ faults are time equivalent of graben-bounding major high-angle normal faults and they correspond to the second phase of extension in western Anatolia. The presence of thrust-related D₃ compressional fabrics suggests N-S compression during the time interval between the two phases of extension (D₂ and D₄). The results of the present study therefore support the episodic, two-stage extension model in western Anatolia and confirm that a short-time, intervening N-S compression separated the two distinct phases.     

Soil moisture assessment in the alluvial basins associated with seismic activity of northwest Anatolia,Turkey, using Landsat TM/ETM satellite imagery / Estimation de l’humidité du sol associée à l’activité sismique dans les bassins alluviaux du nord-ouest de l’Anatolie (Turquie) par l’imagerie satellitaire Landsat TM/ETM

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study is to detect seasonal surface temperature changes and to estimate soil moisture conditions based on the evaporative cooling principle of damp ground in the alluvial basins of northwest Anatolia, Turkey, using Landsat TM/ETM data. According to analysis of satellite sensor data acquired on different dates, soil moisture is greatest in the spring season in the basins. Soil moisture decreases toward the summer and autumn. The 17 August 1999 earthquake occurred in the high surface temperature (low soil moisture) period, and the 12 November 1999 earthquake occurred in the low surface temperature (high soil moisture) period. It is possible to conclude that the urban-rural settlements and industrial developments on the loose deposits of the Adapazari, ?zmit and Düzce depressions have been affected by the seasonal changes in the local ground conditions.     

Glacier response to the change in atmospheric circulation in the eastern Mediterranean during the Last Glacial Maximum

In this study, we document glacial deposits and reconstruct the glacial history in the Karagöl valley system in the eastern Uludağ in northwestern Turkey based on 42 cosmogenic ¹⁰Be exposure ages from boulders and bedrock. Our results suggest the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) advance prior to 20.4 ± 1.2 ka and at least three re-advances until 18.6 ± 1.2 ka during the global LGM within Marine Isotope Stage-2. In addition, two older advances of unknown age are geomorphologically well constrained, but not dated due to the absence of suitable boulders. Glaciers advanced again two times during the Lateglacial. The older is exposure dated to not later than 15.9 ± 1.1 ka and the younger is attributed to the Younger Dryas (YD) based on field evidence. The timing of the glaciations in the Karagöl valley correlates well with documented archives in the Anatolian and Mediterranean mountains and the Alps. These glacier fluctuations may be explained by the change in the atmospheric circulation pattern during the different phases of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) winter indices.     

Tectonic geomorphology of the Kemalpaşa Basin and surrounding horsts,southwestern part of the Gediz Graben,Western Anatolia

The Kemalpa?a Basin is one of the Quaternary basins in Western Anatolia and represents the south-western branch of the Gediz Graben system in this extensional province. This basin has been formed under the NNE–SSW trending extensional tectonic regime. It is bounded by a major fault, the Kemalpa?a Fault, in the south and it is bounded by a number of downstepping faults, called as Spilda?? Fault Zone, in the north. Both margin-bounding faults of the Kemalpa?a Basin are oblique-slip normal faults. In order to better understand the activities of these faults, we investigated the tectonic geomorphology of the Kemalpa?a Basin and interpreted the effect of tectonic activity on the geomorphological evolution using geomorphic markers such as drainage basin patterns, facet geometries and morphometric indices such as hypsometric curves and integral (HI), basin shape index (B_s), valley floor width-to-height ratio (V_f) and mountain front sinuosity (S_mf). The morphometric analysis of 30 drainage basins in total and mountain fronts bounding the basin from both sides suggests a relatively high degree of tectonic activity. The mountain front sinuosity (S_mf) generally varies from 1.1 to 1.3 in both sides of the basin suggesting the active fronts and facet slopes (12°–32°) suggest a relatively high degree of activity along the both sides of the Kemalpa?a Basin. Similarly, the valley floor width-to-height ratios (V_f) obtained from the both sides indicate low values varying from 0.043 to 0.92, which are typical values (<1) for tectonically active mountain fronts. The all values obtained are lower for the southern side. Therefore, we suggest that the tectonic activity of the Kemalpa?a Fault higher than the Spilda?? Fault Zone. This difference that can be arised from the different uplift rates also reveals the typical asymmetric characteristics of the Kemalpa?a Basin. Additionally, the trapezoidal facets which have been observed on the southern side of the basin indicate that the Kemalpa?a Fault is evolutionally more active as compared to the Spilda?? Fault Zone. The geomorphic indices indicate that the Quaternary landscape evolution of the Kemalpa?a Basin was governed by tectonic and erosional processes, and also the all results of morphometric analysis suggest a relatively high degree of tectonic activity along the faults bounding the Kemalpa?a Basin. Moreover, considering that active large normal faults with an average 15 km long can cause major earthquake, the earthquake hazard in the Kemalpa?a Basin should be investigated in detailed paleoseismological studies.     

New evidence and solution to the Maden complex controversy of the Southeast Anatolian orogenic belt (Turkey)

The volcanosedimentary units of Late Mesozoic-Tertiary age that outcrop in the Southeast Anatolian orogenic belt are commonly referred to as the Maden complex. There is a long-lasting controversy over its definition, age, stratigraphic and structural position, and the origin, and thus, the orogenic evolution. To solve this problem, large strips across the Southeast Anatolian orogenic belt have been studied extensively, and different rock groups which were regarded previously as the Maden unit have been differentiated. Their major characteristics and differences have been identified. The Maden unit sensu stricto is here redefined as a volcanosedimentary succession of Middle Eocene age representing a short-lived back-arc basin which reached the stage of an embryonic ocean. Presently, the Maden group occurs mainly within the lower nappe stack of the nappe zone of the Southeast Anatolian orogen. It rests stratigraphically on an amalgamated nappe package consisting of the different metamorphic tectonic units and, in turn, is overlain tectonically by the upper nappe units.     

Neotectonic deformation in the western sector of tectonic escape in Anatolia: palaeomagnetic study of the Afyon region, central Turkey

Following final closure of the Neotethyan Ocean during the late Miocene, deformation in central Turkey has led to crustal thickening and uplift to produce the Anatolian Plateau followed by westward extrusion of terranes by strike–slip. Widespread volcanism has accompanied this latter (neotectonic) phase, and palaeomagnetic study of the volcanism shows a coherent record of differential block rotations, indicating that the Anatolian region is not a plate (or ‘platelet’) sensu stricto but is undergoing distributed internal deformation. To evaluate the scale of neotectonic rotations in the transition zone near the western limit of tectonic escape and the border of the extensional domain in central-west Turkey, we have studied the palaeomagnetism at 82 sites in volcanic suites distributed along a 140-km lineament with north–south trend and ranging in age from 18 to 8 Ma. Comparable deflection of magnetic remanence from the present field direction is identified along the full length of the lineament. A mean clockwise rotation of 12.3±4.2° is determined for this western sector of the Anatolian strike–slip province. Since similar rotations are observed in the youngest and oldest units, this cumulative rotation occurred after the late Miocene. When interpreted together with results elsewhere in Anatolia, it is inferred that the rotation is later than crustal thickening and uplift of the Anatolian Plateau and entirely a facet of the tectonic escape. Inclinations are mostly 10° shallower than the predicted Miocene field and are considered to reflect the presence of a persistent inclination anomaly in the Mediterranean region. Larger rotations departing from the regional trend are also observed within the study region, but are confined to the vicinity of major faults, notably those bounding the Afyon-Ak ehir Graben.The pattern of neotectonic declinations across Anatolia identifies strong anticlockwise rotation in the east near the Arabian pincer with progressive reduction in the amount of rotation towards the west; it becomes zero or slightly clockwise at the western extremity of the accreted terrane collage. Rotations also appear to become generally younger towards the south. Crustal deformation has therefore been distributed, and the net effect of terrane extrusion to the west and south has been to expand the curvature of the Tauride Arc. The westward radial expansion of the extruded terranes is inferred to combine with backroll on the Hellenic Arc to produce the contemporary extensional province in western Turkey.     

Late Cenozoic stress evolution along the Karasu Valley, SE Turkey

This study defines the Mio-Pliocene to present-day stress regime acting at the northeastern corner of the eastern Mediterranean region along the Karasu Valley (i.e., the Amanos Range), taking in the Antakya, Osmaniye and Kahramanmaras provinces. The inversion slip vectors measured on fault planes and chronologies between striations indicate that the stress regime varied from transpressional initially to transtensional, having consistent NW- and NE-trending σ_Hmax (σ₁) and σ_Hmin (σ₃) axes, respectively; there are significantly different mean stress-ratio (R_m) values however. The older mean stress state is characterized by N151±11°E-trending σ₁ and N59±12°E-trending σ₃ axes, and by a mean arithmetic R_m value of 0.76, indicating that the regional stress regime is transpressional. The younger stress regime is characterized by N154±8°E-trending σ₁ and N243±8°E-trending σ₃ axes, and by a mean arithmetic R_m value of 0.17, indicating a transtensional character for this regional stress regime. The low R values of the stress deviators related to the recent stress state reflect normal-component slips. The earthquake focal mechanism inversions confirm that the younger stress regime continues into the Recent. The inversion identifies a transtensional stress regime representing strike-slip and an extensional stress state with a consistent NE-trending σ_Hmin (σ₃) axis. These stress states are characterized by N66°E and N249°E-trending σ₃ axes, respectively. Both significant regional stress regimes induce left-lateral displacement along the southern part of the East Anatolian Fault (EAF, or Amanos Fault). The temporal change, probably in Quaternary time, within the regional stress regime—from transpression to transtension—resulted from the coeval influences of subduction processes in the west–southwest (i.e., along the Cyprus arc), continental collision in the east, and westward escape of the Anatolian block.     

Geoelectromagnetic and geothermic investigations in the Ihlara Valley geothermal field

The Ihlara Valley is situated within a volcanic arc that is formed by the collision of the eastern Mediterranean plate system with the Anatolian plate. In this study we will present data from a reservoir monitoring project over the Ihlara-Ziga geothermal field, located 22 km east of Aksaray, in central Anatolia.Although identified geothermal resources in the Ihlara Valley are modest, substantial undiscovered fields have been inferred primarily from the volcanic and tectonic setting but also from the high regional heat flow (150–200 mWm⁻²) on the Kir ehir Massif.In 1988 and 1990, geoelectromagnetic surveys were undertaken by MTA-Ankara to confirm the presence of a relatively shallow (≈ 0.5–1 km), hydrothermally caused conductive layer or zone. CSAMT and Schlumberger resistivity data show good correspondence with each other, and 2-D geoelectric models are also in harmony with geologic data and gravity anomalies.The depth of the resistive basement, which is interpreted as Paleozoic limestone, is 200–250 m in the western part and increases eastward (≈ 600–750 m). This may imply N-S-oriented normal faulting within the survey area. The parameters of the top layer are a resistivity of 25 to 95 ohm m and a thickness of between 100 and 250 m. The thickness of the conductive tuffs between the top layer and the basement, whose resistivity is about 4–5 o hmm, also increases eastward (from 100 to 450 m). The apparent resistivity maps for the frequencies between 32 and 2 Hz reveal a localized low resistivity anomaly to the east of Belisirma.     

Recent crustal deformation of İzmir, Western Anatolia and surrounding regions as deduced from repeated GPS measurements and strain field

To investigate contemporary neotectonic deformation in İzmir, Western Anatolia and in its neighborhood, a relatively dense Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring network was established in 2001. Combination of three spatially dense GPS campaigns in 2001, 2003 and 2004 with temporally dense campaigns between 1992 and 2004 resulted in a combined velocity field representing active deformation rate in the region. We computed horizontal and vertical velocity fields with respect to Earth-centered, Earth-fixed ITRF2000, to Eurasia and to Anatolia as well.The rates of principal and shear strains along with rigid-body rotation rates were derived from velocity field. Results show east–west shortening between Karaburun Peninsula and northern part of İzmir Bay together with the extension of İzmir Bay in accordance with general extension regime of Western Anatolia and Eastern Agea. East–west shortening and north–south extension of Karaburun Peninsula are closely related to right-lateral faulting and a clockwise rotation. There exists a block in the middle of the peninsula with a differential motion at a rate of 3–5 ± 1 mm/year and 5–6 ± 1 mm/year to the east and south, respectively.As is in Western Anatolia, north–south extension is dominant in almost all parts of the region despite the fact that they exhibit significantly higher rates in the middle of the peninsula. Extensional rates along Tuzla Fault lying nearly perpendicular to İzmir Bay and in its west are maximum in the region with an extension rate of 300–500 ± 80–100 nanostrain/year and confirm its active state. Extensional rates in other parts of the region are at level of 50–150 nanostrain/year as expected in the other parts of Western Anatolia.