Morphotectonic development of the Marmara Region

Morpho-tectonic evolution of the Çanakkale Basin (NW Anatolia): evidence for a recent tectonic inversion from transpression to transtension

“…Previous studies dealing with the morphological development of the western part of the Marmara region (Yaltırak 1995;Elmas and Meriç 1998;Yaltırak et al 1998Yaltırak et al , 2000Gökaşan et al 2003;Yılmaz et al 2010), together with the recent seismic evidence, indicate that the morpho-tectonic evolution of the Çanakkale Basin may have started as the southern shelf area of the initial Marmara Sea under a N-S extensional regime at the end of the Late Miocene (Fig. 11a).…”

“…The modern morphology of the Marmara region, which consists of the Marmara Sea and its surroundings, including the Biga and Gelibolu peninsulas, mostly reflects remnants of a mature horizontal erosion surface termed the ThraceKocaeli peneplain (Cvijic 1908;Pamir 1938;Emre et al 1998;Erinç 2000;Elmas 2003;Gökaşan et al 2005Gökaşan et al , 2008Yılmaz et al 2010). According to Yılmaz et al (2010), the erosion of this peneplain took place from the Late Oligocene to the end of the Late Miocene.…”

“…According to Yılmaz et al (2010), the erosion of this peneplain took place from the Late Oligocene to the end of the Late Miocene. Since the end of the Miocene, the Thrace-Kocaeli peneplain has been rejuvenated by neotectonic activity controlled by the Aegean extensional regime and the North Anatolian Fault Zone (Yılmaz et al 2010).…”

“…According to Yılmaz et al (2010), the erosion of this peneplain took place from the Late Oligocene to the end of the Late Miocene. Since the end of the Miocene, the Thrace-Kocaeli peneplain has been rejuvenated by neotectonic activity controlled by the Aegean extensional regime and the North Anatolian Fault Zone (Yılmaz et al 2010). During the initial phase of neotectonic activity, the Marmara Sea Basin developed under N-S extensional tectonism, in the course of which some fragments of the peneplain were lowered by normal faulting, thereby creating new base levels for deposition.…”

“…Both the Saros Gulf and the Çanakkale Basin are thus lowered parts of this surface, whereas the Thrace and Biga peninsulas constitute the elevated ridges separating the basins. The transtensional phase was followed by dextral shear tectonics of the North Anatolian Fault Zone Gökaşan et al 2003;Şengör et al 2005;Yılmaz et al 2010).…”