Geochemistry of travertine deposits in the Eastern Anatolia District: an example of the Karakoçan-Yoğunağaç (Elazığ) and Mazgirt-Dedebağ (Tunceli) travertines, Turkey

Abstract

IntroductionTravertine deposits located 24 km northwest of Karakoçan (Elazığ) and 60 km southwest of Mazgirt (Tunceli) (Figures 1a and 1b) are on the Karakoçan Fault Zone (KFZ) and Pamuklu Fault Zone (PFZ) and segments of the faults. The terms 'travertine' and 'carbonate tufa' are often used indiscriminately. 'Travertine' is frequently used to refer to carbonate rocks formed from thermal water deposits on the earth's surface, forming various deposit morphologies such as cascades, apron and channel travertines, fissure ridges, plateaus, and towers (Pedley, 2009;Pedley and Rogerson, 2010;Fouke, 2011). According to Andrews (2006) and Capezzuoli et al. (2014), tufas are terrestrial carbonates that form under surficial open-air conditions in streams, rivers, and lakes. Tufa is a product of physicochemical and microbiological biomediation processes. Because tufas form under exposure to light, they contain microbial (bacterial and cyanobacterial) and sometimes other algal components; many tufas encrust higher plants that live on the margins of streams, waterfalls, and wetlands (Pentecost et al., 1997). Tufa carbonates precipitate at ambient temperature from the calcium-bicarbonate waters derived from the dissolution of carbonate bedrock. Travertines are freshwater carbonates precipitated by organic or inorganic processes from the resources of calcium-and bicarbonaterich underground waters (Guo and Riding, 1998). Rapid travertine precipitation initiates when the CO 2 gas within the outcropping waters is emitted to the atmosphere. These freshwater carbonates have an internal structure that frequently changes laterally and vertically. Many conditions, such as differences in the lateral and vertical facies, the position of the resource, the base topography, fluctuations in the amount of the waters storing travertine, and changes in the flow rate and direction of water, organic activities, and surface waters, are frequently encountered in travertine fields due to seasonal climatic factors and tectonic zones. Topography plays a determinative role in the development of facies and in the storing of travertines. The climatic changes' influence on algal growth and travertine precipitation, besides tectonic settings, may produce a significant effect on depositional geometry of the hydrothermal travertine formation. These conditions

Stable isotope geochemistry and petrography of the Qorveh–Takab travertines in northwest Iran

“…14). These Turkish travertine deposits also belong to the thermogene travertine category (Atabey, 2002;Kele et al, 2011;Pasvanoglu and Chandrasekharam., 2011;Ozkul et al, 2014;Kalender et al, 2015). According to geological observations and isotopic analysis of the present study, the Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan travertines can be regarded as thermogene travertines and are comparable with those in the Aksaz area in the Uşak province (NW Turkey), Denizli basin (NW Turkey) and travertines from eastern Anatolia.…”

“…Conversely, travertine is commonly deposited in warm water and is stronger lithified (Atabey, 2002;Pentecost, 2005). Most known travertine deposits are recent or Quaternary (Sierralta et al, 2010;Kalender et al, 2015). Travertines are widespread all over the world, e.g., in Italy, Spain, Turkey and China (Prado-Pérez et al, 2013;Gandin and Capezzuoli, 2014;Ozkul et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2014).…”

“…Recently, there has been a great number of studies on geochemistry, morphological types, macro-and micro-organic components, stable isotope variations and dating of travertines (i.e. Selim and Yanik, 2009;Prado-Pérez et al, 2013;Gandin and Capezzuoli, 2014;Kalender et al, 2015). Based on the origin of carbon dioxide, travertines can be divided into two groups (Pentecost and Viles, 1994;Pentecost, 2005).…”

The impacts of the Yoğunağaç- Karakoçan ve Dedebeğ- Mazgirt thermal and mineral waters on the Peri Stream Water

“…Çalışmada, sıcak suların genç volkanik faaliyetlerin etkisiyle oluştuğu ve akifer formasyonun Keban Metamorfitleri olduğu belirtilmiştir. Sıcak ve mineralli sular ve traverten oluşumları arasındaki hidrojeokimyasal ve jeokimyasal ilişki, Karakoçan ve Mazgirt bölgesindeki travertenlerin, bölgesel tektonizma ile yakından ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymuştur [2], [3]. Bu çalışmalar traverten oluşumlarının, sağ yanal doğrultu atımlı Karakoçan Fay Zonu ve sol yanal doğrultu atımlı Pamuklu Fay Zonunu takip ettiğini göstermiştir.…”

“…Kireçtaşlarından alınan örnekler üzerinde paleontolojik tayinler yapılmış ve aşağıdaki fosil topluluğu belirlenmiştir (Miogypsinasp., Alg, Heterosteginasp., Miogypsina sp., Miogypsinoides sp., Spiroclypeus sp., Miogypsina sp., Amphisteginasp., Lepidocyclina sp., Det: Niyazi Avşar). Bu fosil topluluğuna göre birimin yaşı Alt Miyosen olarak belirlenmiştir[3].…”