Neotectonics of Turkey (Türkiye) and surrounding regions: a new perspective with block modelling

Abstract

This paper aims to present a new neotectonic perspective concordant with the seismic activities in Turkey and surrounding regions. The neotectonic structures have been re-evaluated mainly by using focal mechanism solutions and high-resolution satellite (Google Earth) images. The Southeast Anatolian Wedge explains thrust/blind thrust and asymmetrical folding relationship in SE Turkey, Syria, and Northern Iraq. The neotectonic structures of the Turkish-Iranian Plateau are enlightened by the rhomboidal cell model which creates a base to determine multiple intersection points between the region-wide left- and right-lateral shear zones. The releasing stepover between the North Anatolian Fault Zone and Southeast Anatolian-Zagros Fault Zone plus their connections with the Northeast Anatolian Fault Zone and the East Anatolian Fault Zone are described in a more meaningful way with the Anatolian Diagonal concept. It also clarifies the role of left-lateral shear zone in the west-southwest movement of Anatolian plate and its relationship with the Aegean and Cyprus arcs. A neotectonic region under the influence of NW-SE contraction is determined between the North Anatolian, Eskişehir, and Kırıkkale-Erbaa fault zones in which the Elmadağ-Eldivan and Abdüsselam pinched crustal wedges and the Beypazarı Blind Thrust Zone are developed. A new route for the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone is determined between Bolu and Değirmenlik (Milos) Island in the Aegean Sea via Mudurnu, Bursa, Balıkesir, and İzmir. All main neotectonic structures mentioned in this paper are evaluated by the elastic dislocation modelling and new neotectonic provinces are suggested.

Coal quality, mineralogy, petrography, and geochemistry of the high-strontium Parçikan lignite

“…However, the coalfields of eastern Anatolia, with the exception of Kangal and Afşin-Elbistan coalfields, have received less attention Karayiğit et al, 2001Karayiğit et al, , 2019Sütçü and Karayiğit, 2015). The tectonic evolution of eastern Anatolia during late Cenozoic times resulted in the formation of several sedimentary basins (e.g., Afşin-Elbistan, Gölbaşı, Sivas-Kangal and Malatya), which host mineable late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene coal seams (Tuncalı et al, 2002;Kaymakçı et al, 2006;Sütçü and Karayiğit, 2015;Karayiğit et al, 2016;Yılmaz, 2019;Seyitoğlu et al, 2022). Another result of the tectonic activity is the development of regional volcanic activity from the early Miocene to Pliocene (Figure 1a) (Kocaaslan and Ersoy, 2018;Di Giuseppe et al, 2021).…”