Travertine deformation in Turkey

Travertine - a remarkable rock type

Given my proficiency in structural analysis, paleostress inversion and geophysics, I was invited to act as an external expert in the TraRAS (Travertine Reservoir Analogue Studies) project. A joint industry project (sponsored by Petrobras and Total) focusing on geobody reconstructions of large-scale travertine deposits around the world (collaboration between KULeuven, Pamukkale University (Turkey), Perugia University (Italy), Hungarian Academy of Sciences).

In 2011 and 2014 I performed two long research stays at Denizli (Turkey) to map out the Holocene and Neogene deformation of the Pleistocene Ballik travertine deposits. This analysis resulted in detailed overview of the fault-fracture network affecting one of the largest travertine deposits in the world.

The Van Noten et al. (2013) publication on travertine deformation currently forms a base for sedimentologists to rule out deformation from primary features: a necessity to reconstruct the travertine depositional environment. A new paper reporting on the results of the 2014 field work during which an entire mountain flank was mapped was published in 2019 in the Journal of Structural Geology in Van Noten et al. (2019) . Because of this research, I also frequently act as a reviewer of scientific papers on travertine development, deformation and geochemistry.

Geodynamic setting of the Ballik travertine

A) Location of the Denizli Graben-Host System (DGHS) in Turkey. NAFZ: North Anatolian Fault Zone, EAFZ: East Anatolian Fault Zone.

B) Overview of sedimentary basins in the West Anatolian Extensional Province. BM = Büyük Menderes Graben; KM: Küçük Menderes Graben.

C) Fault map of the eastern DGHS. Faults are derived from geomorphology and from Koçyiğit (2005). The Ballık study area is located along the northern graben flank in the eastern part of the DGHS. Minor faults drawn in the Ballık area are discussed in this study. Different extension directions that have affected the DGHS are indicated. Location of the M5.7 13 June 1965 earthquake is taken from Westaway (1993), other earthquakes are taken from the USGS earthquake database. K.M.: Küyükmalı Mountain; E.F.: Elmalı fault. B.F.Z.: Babadağ Fault Zone. Map coordinates are in UTM (35S, WGS 84). Basemap © Google Earth^TM.

Kömurçuoglu Quarry, NE Ballik area

Conclusive cartoon (not to scale) illustrating the sedimentological and tectonic evolution of the Ballık travertine.

A) Early Pleistocene subhorizontal travertine development on top of Neogene basement sediments/rocks.

B) Alluvial system covering the travertine with marly and clayey sediments sourced from the mountain range north of the Ballık area.

C) Normal faulting and uplift of the Taşkestik (T.-K) Tepe simultaneously with development of the Killik travertine dome.

D) Kömürcuoğlu travertine development, sourced by the NNE-SSW-trending Baklan margin fault. Baklan Graben and the DGHS in ENE-WSW extension. Normal faults in the Ballık area are reactivated into strike-slip with Ballık area acting as transfer zone.

E) Collapse of the Ballık area with further opening and infill of normal faults. Active travertine precipitation is occurring further basin-inwards e.g. at Koçabas.

Papers on Travertine Deformation

[1] Van Noten, K., Soete, J., Claes, H., Foubert, A., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2013 Fracture networks and strike-slip deformation along reactivated normal faults in Quaternary travertine deposits, Denizli Basin, Western Turkey. Tectonophysics, 588, 154-170. DOI pdf

[2] Claes, H., Soete, J., Van Noten, K., El Desouky, H., Erthal, M.M., Vanhaecke, F., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2015 Sedimentology, 3D geobody reconstruction and CO2-origin of Pleistocene travertine deposits in the Ballık area (SW Turkey). Sedimentology 62, 1408-1445. DOI pdf

[3] Van Noten, K., Topal, S., Baykara, M.O., Claes, H., C. Aratman, Özkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2019. Pleistocene-Holocene tectonic reconstruction of the Ballık travertine (Denizli, SW Turkey): (de)formation of large travertine geobodies at intersecting grabens. Journal of Structural Geology 118, 114-134. DOI EarthArXiv Preprint PDF

+ Van Noten, K., 2018. “Orientation Data of Faults and Fractures crossing the Ballık travertine (Denizli Basin, SW Turkey)”, http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/pxr49b53xn.1 Mendeley Data, v1

Conference presentations on Travertine Deformation

Topal, S., Van Noten, K., Baykara, M.O., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2015. Tectonic analysis of the Ballık travertine (Denizli, SW Turkey). Active Tektonics Research Group (ATAG). Sakarya University, Turkey. 5-7 October 2015.
Van Noten, K., Topal, S., Baykara, M.O., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2015. Deformation history of the Ballık travertine (Denizli, SW Turkey). Geophysical research Abstracts 17, EGU-2015-7538, session TS1.3, 12 - 17 April 2015, Vienna. pdf
Van Noten, K., Topal, S., Baykara, M.O., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2015. Pleistocene deformation history of the Ballık travertine along the NE margin of the Denizli Graben-Horst System (SW Turkey). Tectonic Studies Group AGM, January 2015, Edinburgh, UK.
Van Noten, K., Claes, H., Soete, J., Ozkul, M. & Swennen, R. 2012. Fracture networks and strike-slip deformation along reactivated normal faults in Quarternary travertine deposits, Denizli Basin, Western Turkey. 4th International Geologica Belgica Meeting, 11-14 September 2012, Brussels, Belgium.

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