Sedimentological and mineralogical-petrographic characteristics of Miocene evaporitic deposits (SW Erzincan)

Abstract

This study aimed to find the depositional environment and formation conditions of the gypsumdominated Miocene succession alternated and intercalated with clastics and carbonates in the southwestern part of the Erzincan Basin. As a result of sedimentological, mineralogicalpetrographic investigations, it was determined that the gypsum in this sequence was formed as primary and secondary. Primary lithofacies; nodular anhydrite, selenitic, discoidal, gypsum arenitic secondary lithofacies; It is divided into massive, laminated, banded, nodular, brecciated, satin-spar. The facies repetitions and folds, fractures, cracks and faulting in the sequence showed the effect of tectonism with the water level fluctuations in the basin. In addition, these investigations revealed sedimentary structures such as cross-bedding, ripple undulations, chicken-wire, enterolithic and bacterial-algal structures, parallel laminations in gypsum lithofacies. In addition to these, it was understood that gypsum lithofacies were exposed to diagenetic processes under the influence of a hot-humid and semi-arid climate, organic matter activity, meteoric/underground-water and hydrothermal solution factors, and were subjected to high temperature, pressure, salinity and pH conditions.