sedimentation and basin formation related to ophiolite nappe emplacement miocene sw turkey abstract the miocene kasaba basin in southwestern turkey is a peripheral foreland basin that resulted from the thrusting and emplacement of the lycian nappes ophiolite unit onto a previously stable carbonate platform the resulting basin fill is the product of the complex interaction of tectonic and sedimentary processes and records the timing and magnitude of tectonic events in the thrust belt initial emplacement of the nappes in the late aquitanian resulted in the foundering and irregular subsidence of the carbonate platform by burdigalian times continued loading of the carbonate platform resulted in the development of a sedimentary basin ca 170 km across fan deltas shed off the leading edge of the nappe pile passed basin wards into a series of small submarine fans at the same time a peripheral bulge developed in the central part of the carbonate platform along the margin of the basin opposite the nappe pile a thick wedge of sediments derived from the carbonate platform was shed northwestwards into the basin varying sedimentation rates and migrating facies belts in the overlying middle and upper miocene basin fill sequence document both the progressive emplacement of the lycian nappes approximately 100 km from the northwest over the basin margin and overstep of the peripheral bulge

planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the neogene sequence in the adana basin turkey and its correlation with standard biozones the aim of this study is to describe the biostratigraphic chronostratigraphic and ecostratigraphic relationships of the neogene sequence in the adana basin the adana basin is located in southern turkey and bordered by the tauride orogenic belt to the north the amanos mountains to the east the mediterranean coast to the south and the ecemis fault zone to the west from base to top the neogene sequence consists of the gildirli formation continental redbeds the shallow marine kaplankaya formation the reefal limestones of the karaisali formation the shales of the guvenc formation slope to deep marine a thick submarine fan complex cingoz formation the shallow marine and fluvio deltaic kuzgun formation and the shallow marine lagoonal continental handere formation the planktonic foraminiferal biozones identified within the neogene sequence of the adana basin are globigerinoides trilobus and praeorbulina glomerosa curva burdigalian globorotalia fohsi peripheroronda orbulina suturalis langhian and globorotalia mayeri serravallian the late tortonian is characterized by the first occurrence of globorotalia suterae there are no planktonic foraminiferal zones in the messinian but this level may be correlated with a non distinctive zone in the mediterranean region the pliocene is represented by the sphaeroidinellopsis acme zone

the cilicia adana basin complex eastern mediterranean neogene evolution of an active fore arc basin in an obliquely convergent margin abstract detailed interpretation of multi channel seismic reflection profiles showed that the deposition of the miocene successions in the cilicia adana basin complex occurred within a foredeep south of the arcuate tauride fold thrust belt the misis kyrenia fault zone defined the northernmost of a number of smaller thrust culminations developed within this foredeep fluvio deltaic successions suggest that the adana and inner cilicia basins became emergent during the tortonian when the western portion of the piggy back basin retained a marine connection the entire region became emergent during the messinian salinity crisis and up to 1000 m of evaporites were deposited in the cilicia and southern adana basins stratigraphic and structural relationships demonstrated that the late plio quaternary cilicia adana basin complex evolved as an asymmetric piggy back basin on the hanging wall of the large south verging misis kyrenia thrust culmination on the misis kyrenia segment of the culmination thrust activity ceased in early messinian whereas on the kyrenia segment it continued to the present the shift in the kinematics is expressed by the development of the ne sw trending steep faults with extensional separations bounding the plio quaternary depocentre in the adana and inner cilicia basins these basement rooted faults are incompatible with the contractional regime that existed in this part of the basin complex during the miocene in the outer cilicia basin the incompatibility between a domain of continued south directed fold thrust activity and uplift on the kyrenia range and a domain of extension associated with the development of plio quaternary depocentre indicates that strain is strongly partitioned across the e w trending southern basin bounding fault system along the southern margin of the outer cilicia basin progressive westward displacement of the tauride block within the aegean anatolian microplate created a localised transtensional regime within the inner cilicia and adana basins suggesting the presence of hard intra plate fault boundaries centred along the misis kyrenia horst block and the southern basin bounding fault system the northern basin bounding fault system including the kozan fault in the cilicia basin is a set of large antithetic structures linked to the master faults the westward pull out of the tauride block is related to the overall westward escape of the aegean anatolian microplate during the latest miocene to early pliocene whereas the continued contraction south of the basin complex across cyprus is related to the evolving collision and under plating of the continental micro fragment the eratosthenes we propose that the southern master fault of the outer cilicia basin primarily functions as a boundary separating a contractional microplate domain to the south from a transtensional microplate domain to the north

late cenozoic stress distribution along the misis range in the anatolian arabian and african plate intersection region se turkey 1 this study defines the mio pliocene to present day stress regime acting at the northeastern mediterranean along the se border of the neogene adana basin along the misis range the inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms shows that the present day state of stress is dominantly a transtension combined the strike slip and extension with a consistent ene n83 e trending hmin 3 axis the inversion slip vectors measured on fault planes and chronologies between striations indicate a consistent strike slip stress regime that varied from transpressional initially to transtensional during pleistocene time with the latter continuing into recent times as indicated by earthquake focal mechanism inversions both states have consistent nnw n15 w trending compatible with nnw arabian drift direction and ene n75 e trending hmax 1 and hmin 3 axes respectively but have significantly different mean arithmetic stress ratio rm values rm 0 75 indicating transpression for the old regional stress regime and rm of 0 20 denoting transtensional for the younger regional stress regime the crosscutting of striations confirms also the change within the strike slip stress regime both stress regimes induce sinistral displacement along the major strike slip fault systems i e east anatolian fault karatas osmaniye fault the temporal stress regime change probably occurred during quaternary time and resulted from coeval influence of the superimposed forces owing to subduction processes in the southwest along the cyprus arc continental collision in the east and westward escape of the anatolian block in the north and west

eocene development of the northerly active continental margin of the southern neotethys in the kyrenia range north cyprus we focus on an active continental margin related to northwards subduction during the eocene in which sedimentary melange olistostromes forms a key component maastrichtian early eocene deep marine carbonates and volcanic rocks pass gradationally upwards into a thick succession 800 m of gravity deposits exposed in several thrust sheets the lowest levels are mainly siliciclastic turbidites and debris flow deposits interbedded marls contain middle eocene planktonic benthic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils sandstones include abundant ophiolite derived grains the higher levels are chaotic debris flow deposits that include exotic blocks of late palaeozoic mesozoic neritic limestone and dismembered ophiolite related rocks a thinner sequence 200 m in one area contains abundant redeposited paleogene pelagic limestone and basalt chemical analysis of basaltic clasts shows that some are subduction influenced basaltic clasts from unconformably overlying alluvial conglomerates late eocene oligocene indicate derivation from a supra subduction zone ophiolite including boninites taking account of regional comparisons the sedimentary melange is interpreted to have formed within a flexurally controlled foredeep floored by continental crust gravity flows including large limestone blocks multiple debris flows and turbidites were emplaced followed by southwards thrust imbrication the emplacement was possibly triggered by the final closure of an oceanic basin to the north alanya ocean further convergence between the african and eurasian plates was accommodated by northwards subduction beneath the kyrenia active continental margin subduction zone rollback may have triggered collapse of the active continental margin non marine to shallow marine alluvial fans prograded southwards during late eocene oligocene time marking the base of a renewed depositional cycle that lasted until latest miocene time

the misis andirin complex a mid tertiary melange related to late stage subduction of the southern neotethys in s turkey abstract the mid tertiary mid eocene to earliest miocene misis andirin complex documents tectonic sedimentary processes affecting the northerly active margin of the south tethys neotethys in the easternmost mediterranean region each of three orogenic segments misis in the sw andirin central and engizek in the ne represent parts of an originally continuous active continental margin a structurally lower volcanic sedimentary unit includes late cretaceous arc related extrusives and their lower tertiary pelagic cover this unit is interpreted as an early tertiary remnant of the mesozoic south tethys the overlying melange unit is dominated by tectonically brecciated blocks 100 m across of mesozoic neritic limestone that were derived from the tauride carbonate platform to the north together with accreted ophiolitic material the melange matrix comprises polymict debris flows high to low density turbidites and minor hemipelagic sediments the misis andirin complex is interpreted as an accretionary prism related to the latest stages of northward subduction of the south tethys and diachronous continental collision of the tauride eurasian and arabian african plates during mid eocene to earliest miocene time slivers of upper cretaceous oceanic crust and its early tertiary pelagic cover were accreted while blocks of mesozoic platform carbonates slid from the overriding plate tectonic mixing and sedimentary recycling took place within a trench subduction culminated in large scale collapse of the overriding northern margin and foundering of vast blocks of neritic carbonate into the trench a possible cause was rapid roll back of dense downgoing mesozoic oceanic crust such that the accretionary wedge taper was extended leading to gravity collapse melange formation was terminated by underthrusting of the arabian plate from the south during earliest miocene time collision was diachronous in the east engizek range and se anatolia collision generated a lower miocene flexural basin infilled with turbidites and a flexural bulge to the south miocene turbiditic sediments also covered the former accretionary prism further west misis range the easternmost mediterranean remained in a pre collisional setting with northward underthrusting incipient subduction along the cyprus arc the lower miocene basins to the north misis and adana indicate an extensional to transtensional setting the ne sw linking segment andirin probably originated as a mesozoic palaeogeographic offset of the tauride margin this was reactivated by strike slip and transtension during later tertiary diachronous collision related to on going plate convergence the former accretionary wedge upper plate was thrust over the lower miocene turbiditic basins in mid late miocene time the plio quaternary was dominated by left lateral strike slip along the east anatolian transform fault and also along fault strands cutting the misis andirin complex

structural framework and deformation history of the western cyprus arc abstract an extensive grid of high resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles complemented with wider spaced deep penetrating industry seismic profiles revealed that the pre messinian miocene structural architecture of the antalya basin and its southwestern extension into the florence rise is characterized by a very prominent broadly northwest southeast striking and largely southwest verging fold thrust belt with occasional northeast verging backthrusts during the messinian a number of prominent thrusts remained active however numerous thrusts which were active during the pre messinian miocene became inactive during the uppermost messinian quaternary the stain was partitioned into five broadly northwest southeast trending morphotectonic domains each delineated by a distinctive seafloor morphology a a domain across the inner and western antalya basin is dominated by extensional faults b a domain immediately south of the extensional faults is characterized by contractional structures c a halokinetic zone in southwestern antalya basin north of the foothills of the anaxagoras mountain is characterized by numerous positive flower structures beneath a corrugated seafloor d a domain characterized by fluid escape structures immediately southeast of the halokinetic zone and e a domain across the crestal portion of the florence rise is dominated by prominent inversion structures detailed mapping documented that several of these tectonic domains can be readily correlated with previously mapped tectonic elements in the eastern mediterranean as well as structures mapped across the adjacent landmass the change from ubiquitous pre messinian miocene contraction to partitioned strain of the latest messinian quaternary is likely related to the collision of the eratosthenes with cyprus and the resultant jostling of the tectonic blocks

seismic stratigraphy and structural evolution of the adana basin eastern mediterranean abstract detailed interpretation and mapping of multi channel seismic reflection profiles from the adana basin show that a south verging linked imbricate thrust stack existed across the northern portion of the adana basin prior to the deposition of early miocene sedimentary successions following the development of the basement cored fold thrust belt the region was irregularly denuded paleohighs and lows delineate the axis of hanging wall culminations and intervening structural depressions between forelimbs and backlimbs of the stacked sheets with residual topographic relief locally reaching 1500 m the stratigraphic and structural architecture of the early to middle miocene successions in the adana basin records a significant phase of tectonic subsidence that initiated in the early miocene followed by deposition of a thick deep water succession in an underfilled basin then relatively rapid uplift gave rise to basin inversion and erosion prior to or during the early tortonian the upper miocene global eustatic sea level fall initiated in the tortonian the transition from deep water to fluvio deltaic sedimentation in the early tortonian recorded the combined effects of a global eustatic sea level fall and regional tectonic uplift presumably related to renewed activity in the tauride orogen to the north it led to widespread erosion giving rise to a smooth unconformity surface in most of the adana basin the stratigraphic and structural relationships suggest that the onset of east directed thrusting in the trailing portion of the misis fold thrust belt occurred sometime during the lower tortonian coinciding with the switch from marine to terrestrial sedimentation the truncation by this unconformity of the folded thrusted successions of both miocene successions across the trailing thrust sheets marks the effect of progressive erosion as the thrust sheets are uplifted above base level a prominent progressive syntectonic unconformity is developed extending from the region of main thrust culminations westward into the depocentre situated on the backlimb of the leading thrust of the misis fold thrust belt much of the tortonian deposition took place within this trailing piggy back basin and the easterly onlap and the westerly tilt of this succession mark the progressive uplift of the fold thrust belt during the remainder of the tortonian terrestrial and fluvio deltaic deposition in the tortonian was succeeded in the messinian by the deposition of mixed evaporite carbonate clastic succession in the adana basin the base of this succession is a local unconformity across the tortonian succession that marks the cessation of the fold thrust activity in the east and ensuing erosion across the fill of the tortonian piggy back basin the subcrop of the messinian succession marks the edge of deposition in a paleotopographic depression situated between the tortonian misis fold thrust belt in the east and the paleoslope over the front of the reactivated tauride fold thrust belt in the north the western margin of deposition of the messinian succession was probably controlled by the development of the kozan fault zone plio quaternary subsidence created the accommodation space that allowed rapid delta progradation

neogene tectonics and plate convergence in the eastern mediterranean new data from southern turkey data reported here demonstrate that the misis complex of southern turkey comprises a major olistostromic body formed prior to the early miocene and tectonically emplaced upon a structurally imbricated pile of deep and shallow marine sediments of early miocene to pliocene age magmatic rocks forming olistoliths in the misis complex have a back arc geochemical signature and variations in the facies paleoenvironments and paleotransport vectors within the associated sediments provide a record of miocene collisional events in southeast turkey the pseudo accretionary imbrication and structural style of the misis complex are attributed to continued collisional over thrusting but there is evidence within the imbricated stack of late sinistral strike slip faulting that relates to post miocene inception of motion along the east anatolian fault system the new data favor these geodynamic models proposed for the neogene evolution of the northeastern mediterranean that involve oblique convergence and associated strike slip adjustments

current aspects of basin analysis abstract current research in basin analysis focuses on interdisciplinary integration of geodynamics mathematical and physical modelling and sedimentary geology these efforts are organized into a research framework emphasizing basin formation nature of the basin fill maturation diagenesis of the basin fill and timing of events research in geodynamics permits development of a proposed classification of sedimentary basins in which basin types are discriminated according to nature of the plate margin basin position on or within a tectonic plate nature of the crust and geodynamic models or known process of formation a summary of current research developments on sedimentary basin fills focuses on the interdisciplinary solutions developed to understanding carbonate distribution through time origin of black shales sea level history and global sedimentary cycles maturation of basin fills requires an understanding of both thermodynamic aspects of mineral phase changes and changing character of the chemistry of flow of water through porous sediments during basin evolution summary case histories from the illinois basin and the appalachian basin illustrate these approaches

miocene recent evolution of the western antalya basin and its linkage with the isparta angle eastern mediterranean abstract interpretation of 9500 km of multichannel seismic reflection profiles showed the presence of two major tectonic histories in western antalya basin spanning from the miocene or older to the pliocene quaternary a prominent fold thrust belt affects the miocene succession in the offshore the thrusts swing from a nw se strike with sw vergence in the northeast of the mapped area to a more northerly strike with westerly vergence at the western shelf edge of the deep basin the miocene deformation appears to continue offshore from the westerly directed thrusting seen onshore that characterizes the eastern edge of the isparta angle the contraction is consistent with the counterclockwise miocene rotation of the western side of the isparta angle determined from paleomagnetic studies the thrust belt forms the western extremity of the wider regional aksu kyrenia misis oroclinal culmination the tectonic activity experienced a period of relative quiescence across the western antalya basin during the messinian a major kinematic change occurred in the pliocene when the regional strain was partitioned into three spatially localized tectonic domains an extensional domain confined to the pliocene quaternary unit 1 occupied the northeastern portion of the study area a predominantly extensional domain with a few re activated pre existing miocene contractional structures occupied the southern and central portion of the study area and an extensional and or transtensional domain occupied the continental shelf and slope in the westernmost antalya basin these complexities relate to strike slip motions as the crustal block within the isparta angle moved northwards relative to the blocks to the north

complex interactions fault fans developed in a strike slip system kozan fault zone eastern mediterranean sea abstract interpretation of high resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles shows that the kozan fault zone is characterized by northeast southwest striking and mainly southeast dipping planar faults which show significant normal sense dip separations traced toward the southeast these faults progressively swing to assume an east west trend along the northern margin of the outer cilicia basin the kozan fault zone initially occupied a wide zone of distributed strike slip translation in the early pliocene but was subsequently concentrated into a narrowly focused strike slip fault zone in the late pliocene and quaternary during the late pliocene the kozan fault zone propagated toward the southwest creating a restraining bend in the cilicia basin and a new east west oriented strike slip fault i e silifke anamur fault in the outer cilicia basin two additional fault fans with small normal sense dip separations occur across the kozan fault zone exhibiting spectacular examples of fault interferences and growth strata architectures the east west striking and south dipping fault fan developed in the early pliocene whereas the northwest southeast striking and largely northeast dipping fault fan developed in the late pliocene each fan is composed of numerous listric faults which sole on bedding parallel detachment surfaces at various levels within the pliocene quaternary succession these faults developed as the result of gravitational sliding of thick delta and prodelta successions supplied into the cilicia basin by the goksu river the change in the kinematic regime in the kozan fault zone is reflected in the dynamics of the gravitationally collapsing mass and the northwest southeast striking and largely northeast dipping fault developed a small angle between the strikes of these two fault fans prevented the lock up of the east west striking and south dipping faults so both faults set to remain active throughout the late pliocene quaternary

internal seismic stratigraphy of the messinian evaporites across the northern sector of the eastern mediterranean sea abstract a dense grid of high resolutions multichannel seismic reflection profiles from the northern basins of the eastern mediterranean rhodes finike antalya cilicia adana and latakia basin allow documenting a messinian evaporite succession of variable thickness bounded at its base and top by two strong seismic reflectors named respectively bs bes or the n reflector and ts tes or the m reflector messinian evaporite succession is thickest in the deep antalya basin 2000 2400 ms twt but is notably thinner in across the rhodes and finike basins in the west and the adana cilicia latakia basins in the east five acoustically distinctive messinian subunits are identified in the antalya basin 2e 2a three of these subunits 2e 2c 2a are acoustically stratified with strong laterally continuous reflections while two 2d 2b are acoustically transparent with few coherent reflections interval velocities and the internal acoustic character of subunits are used in conjunction with correlations with borehole data to suggest the lithological composition of the subunits subunit 2e is possibly composed of detrital sediment and resedimented primary lower gypsum associated with the intensive subaerial erosion immediately after the onset of the messinian drawdown correlations with the dsdp sites 375 and 376 suggest that the acoustically transparent subunits 2d and 2b are likely composed of massive halite with interbeds of anhydrite magnesium and potassium salts and minor siliciclastics subunit 2c is probably composed of interbedded siliciclastic and evaporites and or trapped fluids subunit 2a probably corresponds to the gypsum horizons interbedded with carbonates and siliciclastics comparison between the messinian subunits in the eastern and western mediterranean shows remarkable acoustic similarities in both regions there is a stratified lower subunit 2e sequentially overlain by a thick transparent subunit 2d thin stratified subunit 2c and thick transparent subunit 2b which are all capped by a mainly stratified subunit 2a these similarities strongly suggest similarities in the sedimentary evolution of basins in the eastern and western mediterranean

evolution of a classic sand ridge field maryland sector north american inner shelf the ridge and swale topography of the middle atlantic bight is best developed on the delaware maryland inner shelf here sand ridges can be seen in all stages of formation several aspects of the ridge field are pertinent to the problem of ridge genesis the first is ridge morphology there is a systematic morphologic change from shoreface ridges through nearshore ridges to offshore ridges which reflects the changing hydraulic regime as successively more seaward ridges are examined maximum side slope decreases the ratio of maximum seaward slope to maximum landward slope decreases and the cross sectional area increases these changes in ridge morphology with depth and distance from shore appear to be equivalent to the morphologic changes experienced by a single ridge during the course of the holocene transgression a second aspect is the change in bottom sediment characteristics that accompanies these large scale morphologic changes megaripples sand waves and mud lenses appear in the troughs between nearshore and offshore ridges these changes indicate that the storm flows which maintain ridges are less frequently experienced in the deeper sector and that the role of high frequency wave surge becomes less important relative to the role of the mean flow component in shaping the sea floor a third aspect is the systematic relationship of grain size to topography grain size is 90 out of phase with topography so that the coarsest sand lies between the axis of the landward trough and the ridge crest while the finest sand lies between the ridge crest and the axis of the seaward trough this relationship is characteristic of large scale bedforms finally flow was measured and transport calculated on the same ridge during a one month period november 1976 threshold was exceeded only during storm events mean transport was southerly and a little seaward with respect to both the ridge crest and the shoreline these flow measurements are in conformity with the pattern of smaller bedforms a 43 year time series of bathymetric change for this ridge reveals a systematic pattern of landward flank erosion seaward flank deposition and seaward crest migration sand ridges are considered the consequence of constructive feedback between an initial topography and the resulting distribution of bottom shear stress the relationship between grain size and topography supports this model but does not account directly for the oblique angle of the ridge with respect to the coastline this feature may be due to a more rapid alongshore migration rate of the inshore edge of the ridge than the offshore edge and the relationship between this migration rate and the rate of shoreface retreat

geochemistry and tectonic environment of basaltic rocks from the misis ophiolitic melange south turkey abstract the miocene misis tectonosedimentary melange was formed during the closing stages of the neotethys in what is now the adana basin of southern turkey a major part is characterized by large disorientated limestone blocks set in a predominantly volcanogenic matrix of bedded and chaotic units comprising basaltic pillow lavas associated hyaloclastites serpentinites and various acidic tuffs all the basaltic rocks are mildly metamorphosed zeolite facies variably vesicular and differentially altered to smectite chlorite fe oxides zeolites and carbonate petrographic and chemical data on the least altered pillow lavas indicate they were originally sparsely olivine plagioclase clinopyroxene phyric tholeiites and minor amphibole phyric basaltic andesites the basaltic clasts in the melange matrix are genetically related to the pillow lava sequences with the observed variation throughout the suite being governed by low pressure fractional crystallization as a group the basalts are characterized by low zr y 2 4 relatively high th yb 0 5 0 7 and la nb 1 5 2 5 ratios and moderate chondrite normalized light ree enrichment la yb n 3 patterns the basalts have a mildly enriched subduction related chemistry and were possibly formed initially in a back arc basin setting the supra subduction zone characteristics of the misis basaltic units are similar to other tethyan basalts in eastern mediterranean ophiolites

the pliocene quaternary tectonic evolution of the cilicia and adana basins eastern mediterranean special reference to the development of the kozan fault zone abstract a grid of high resolution multi channel seismic reflection profiles allows the detailed mapping of the kozan fault zone in the cilicia and adana basins the zone is delineated by an arcuate zone consisting of several ene wsw and nne ssw striking closely spaced high angle extensional faults which define an 300 km long and 15 20 km wide lazy s shaped structure along the southeastern fringes of the taurus mountain and along the northwestern margins of the cilicia and adana basins in the cilicia basin the zone consists of several high angle faults which exhibit small dip separations on the m reflector and have tip points situated mainly in the lower and middle portion of the pliocene quaternary succession in the adana basin a family of northeast striking and southeast dipping extensional faults occurs along the western and northwestern margin of the basin the faults cut down with relatively steep dip into the 700 ms thick tortonian and older miocene successions multi channel seismic reflection profiles show that three prominent seismic markers divide the uppermost messinian recent successions in the cilicia and adana basins into three subunits the uppermost messinian lower pliocene subunit 1c between the m and a reflectors the upper pliocene subunit 1b between the a and p reflectors and the quaternary subunit 1a between the p reflector and the seafloor prominent delta lobes are identified in the seismic profiles that are correlated with the ancestral goksu river isopach maps constructed using depth converted seismic reflection profiles show clear temporal and spatial variations of the delta lobes of the goksu river during the latest messinian recent the uppermost messinian lower pliocene delta lobe is situated furthest to the northeast whereas the youngest quaternary lobe is situated furthest to the southwest with 20 35 km displacement along a northeast southwest line which suggests a conservative estimate of 0 43 0 75 cm yr sinistral slip for the kozan fault zone

late cretaceous cenozoic subduction collision history of the southern neotethys new evidence from the caglayancerit area se turkey evidence of the subduction collision history of the s neotethys is well exposed in the frontal part of the se anatolian thrust belt and the adjacent arabian continental margin the foreland succession in the study area begins with eocene shelf carbonates ranging from shallow marine to deeper marine without sedimentary input from the tauride continent to the north after a regional hiatus oligocene sedimentation resumed during the early miocene with terrigenous gravity flow deposition in the north lice formation and shallow marine carbonates further south clastic detritus was derived from the tauride continent and oceanic accretionary material the base of the overriding tauride allochthon comprises ophiolite derived debris flows ophiolite related melange and dismembered ophiolitic rocks above this the regional scale bulgurkaya sedimentary melange an olistostrome includes blocks and dismembered thrust sheets of metamorphic rocks limestone and sandstone which include late cretaceous and eocene foraminifera the matrix is mainly strongly deformed eocene oligocene mudrocks hemipelagic marl and sandstone turbidites the thrust stack is topped by a regionally extensive thrust sheet malatya metamorphic unit which includes greenschist facies marble calcschist schist and phyllite representing tauride continental crust beginning during the late mesozoic the s neotethys subducted northwards beneath a backstop represented by the tauride microcontinent malatya metamorphic unit ophiolites formed within the s neotethys and accreted to the tauride active margin large scale sedimentary melange developed along the tauride active margin during eocene oligocene on the arabian margin a sedimentary hiatus and tilting oligocene is interpreted to record initial continental collision the early miocene terrigenous gravity flows represent a collision related flexural foreland basin southward overthrusting of the tauride allochthon took place during early middle miocene associated regional uplift triggered large scale alluvial deposition the foreland folded and faulted in response to suture zone tightening late miocene left lateral strike slip characterised the plio pleistocene

vertical and lateral organization of a carbonate deep water slope marginal to a submarine fan system miocene southern turkey organization is recognized in the forereef deep water slope submarine fan system of the burdigalian langhian kaplankaya formation a basinwards transition from a prograding shelfal reef complex through forereef talus deep water slope and laterally encroaching bypass deep water clastic system is described although the deep water slope makes up the bulk of the succession considerable thickness variations occur between the reef and deep water clastic complexes these are controlled by sea floor topography carbonate foreslope gradient and degree of mass wasting off the platform and foreslope the vertical and lateral heterogeneity of the kaplankaya deep water slope system is described from a number of localities along a 40 km long and up to 3 km wide exposed section of the northern margin of the miocene adana basin a foreland basin setting resulting from thrust sheet loading from the north during the tauride orogeny detailed field mapping is supplemented with vertical sedimentary logs photomosaics palaeontological and petrological data to investigate stratal variation diagnostic architectural elements controls on slope progradation differential timing of basinward encroachment of the reefal complex and lateral onlap of the deep water clastic system onto the slope three dimensional models are presented showing the vertical and lateral facies associations in different parts of the deep water slope system and provide a basis for architectural prediction of geometry and relative position in such environments

a revised stratigraphic framework for later cenozoic sequences in the northeastern mediterranean region this study describes the lithostratigraphic character of mid cenozoic oligocene pliocene sequences in different parts of the northeastern mediterranean area and offers a detailed stratigraphic correlation for this region the sequences concerned are drawn from the camardi area south central anatolia the adana basin the misis mountains and the kyrenia range northern cyprus and the submerged florence rise west of cyprus the stratigraphic relationships identified here indicate the following a following the middle eocene lutetian regression there was uplift throughout the entire region b episodes of fluvial and lacustrine deposition in intramontane settings ensued in most of this region during the late eocene early miocene interval c following a regionally extensive phase of tectonic compression major marine transgression commenced in the late oligocene in northern cyprus and in the early miocene in adjacent southern turkey with the exception of the ecemi fault zone where continental deposition continued d these oligo miocene transgressive sequences comprise a broadly diachronous complex of both shallow and deeper marine facies including reefal carbonates littoral clastics basinal shales and fan turbidites e deeper marine miocene facies persisted longer in the misis area and in northern cyprus f a regional regression occurred throughout most of the area during the late serravallian to tortonian interval and is marked by the abrupt locally discordant appearance of extensive shallow marine deltaic and fluvial deposits g continued regression in the messinian led to the formation of significant evaporite deposits in the western and southern parts of the region but localized uplift of the misis area is attested by the initial deformation of the neogene rocks there and the absence of messinian sediments from this area h in the pliocene there was extensive emergence of the northern parts of the region interrupted by brief marine incursions the present day drainage pattern was established at this time i marine conditions persisted longer in northern cyprus where emergence occurred only in the latest pliocene

late cenozoic stress evolution along the karasu valley se turkey abstract this study defines the mio pliocene to present day stress regime acting at the northeastern corner of the eastern mediterranean region along the karasu valley i e the amanos range taking in the antakya osmaniye and kahramanmaras provinces the inversion slip vectors measured on fault planes and chronologies between striations indicate that the stress regime varied from transpressional initially to transtensional having consistent nw and ne trending hmax 1 and hmin 3 axes respectively there are significantly different mean stress ratio rm values however the older mean stress state is characterized by n151 11 e trending 1 and n59 12 e trending 3 axes and by a mean arithmetic rm value of 0 76 indicating that the regional stress regime is transpressional the younger stress regime is characterized by n154 8 e trending 1 and n243 8 e trending 3 axes and by a mean arithmetic rm value of 0 17 indicating a transtensional character for this regional stress regime the low r values of the stress deviators related to the recent stress state reflect normal component slips the earthquake focal mechanism inversions confirm that the younger stress regime continues into the recent the inversion identifies a transtensional stress regime representing strike slip and an extensional stress state with a consistent ne trending hmin 3 axis these stress states are characterized by n66 e and n249 e trending 3 axes respectively both significant regional stress regimes induce left lateral displacement along the southern part of the east anatolian fault eaf or amanos fault the temporal change probably in quaternary time within the regional stress regime from transpression to transtension resulted from the coeval influences of subduction processes in the west southwest i e along the cyprus arc continental collision in the east and westward escape of the anatolian block

comparative morphosedimentary framework of small subtropical islands offshore kuwait abstract five small islands offshore of the state of kuwait in the northern arabian gulf miskan awhah kubbar qaruh and umm al maradem occur in differing structural settings and have evolved in a dynamic environment of shifting fluvial depocenters fluctuating holocene sea level and variable tidal conditions as a first step in reconstructing the origin and evolution of the islands bathymetric charts historical photographs topographic profiles and sediment samples were used to investigate their geomorphology and sedimentary environments the subaerial portion of the islands varies in area from 0 04 to 0 57 km2 the plan shape ellipticity ranges from nearly circular 0 10 to oval shaped 0 54 the northern two islands miskan and awhah experience mesotidal conditions and are situated on a shallow platform

geophysical evidence for gas geohazards off iskenderun bay se turkey abstract high resolution seafloor and sub surface data were acquired as part of a site survey in iskenderun bay se turkey to characterize the geohazards at the location of the proposed drilling site a 3 km 3 km geophysical study reveals a pockmark field which trends ne and nne similar to the trend of major fault systems in the area the pockmarks with an average diameter of 35 m reach their highest density in the northern part of the detailed survey area with 13 features km2 acoustic anomalies in the seismic records acoustic turbidity blanking enhanced reflectors below the proposed drilling site indicated potential shallow gas beneath it the local seismic anomalies amplitude and frequency parallel to stratigraphy were assigned a low gas risk as a result of the active neotectonics in the area the pockmark field presented a potential hazard for drilling at the original location the geohazard study resulted in moving the proposed drilling site eastward to an area of fewer pockmarks less sub surface seismic anomalies and thus a location interpreted as a lower geohazard environment

late palaeogene neogene evolution of the triple junction region near maras south central turkey the marao region of turkey includes the anatolian arabian african triple junction the african arabian margin is marked by left lateral transtension along the dead sea kara su rift motion on the anatolian arabian boundary is partitioned between the left lateral east anatolian fault and a fold thrust belt termed the engizek zone equivalent to the bitlis suture further east the african anatolian boundary lies along the cyprus misis andirin trend and is expressed near the triple junction as the aslantao iskenderun zone now undergoing slow left lateral transtension the neogene evolution of these boundaries is largely recorded in the stratigraphy and structure of the basins that lie along the anatolian arabian lice basin and anatolian african aslantao iskenderun basin boundaries these basins appear to have developed in the early miocene along major strike slip zones large half graben in the pre neogene 9basement9 of the western misis andirin block developed contemporaneously with motion on the anatolian african boundary these extensional features evolved subsequent to the intense shattering of the mesozoic carbonate sequence in the misis andirin block and its mixing with panels of deep water palaeogene strata to form an extensionally disrupted assemblage transpression and conversion of both anatolian african and anatolian arabian boundaries to fold thrust belts occurred in the late miocene transpression continues along the anatolian arabian boundary but transtension has recurred along the anatolian african boundary since the pliocene

oligocene deposits of the zara hafik region sivas central turkey evolution from storm influenced shelf to evaporitic basin new stratigraphical and micropalaeontological data supplemented by detailed sedimentological and petrographical observations have been obtained from an almost completely exposed oligocene miocene succession near celalli in the zara hafik basin which forms part of a long lived zone of subsidence associated with the north anatolian fault system four laterally extensive lithostratigraphical units have been distinguished and ostracod microfaunas indicate that the lower two units are of middle oligocene age while bivalve brachiopod faunas from the third unit are also oligocene the status of the uppermost unit of redbeds remains equivocal but microfaunas from the capping marls are of lowermost miocene age

the role of the kyrenia range lineament cyprus in the geological evolution of the eastern mediterranean area rewarding insights into major crustal lineaments come from the integrated study of well exposed examples one is the kyrenia range a narrow arcuate lineament of several hundred kilometres in length comprising northern cyprus and its offshore extension the kyrenia range consists mostly of mesozoic and tertiary sedimentary and subordinate volcanic and metamorphic rocks disposed in four rock groups separated by unconformities recording deformation events the lineament is dominated by a steeply dipping composite thrust pile located partly along and partly straddling the abrupt northward termination of crust similar to the troodos igneous complex at depth the 200 ma history of the lineament involved episodic rift passive margin active margin strike slip and uplift phases the area was rifted off gondwana in the late triassic to form a southerly turkish microcontinent capped by a gently subsiding carbonate platform after formation of a small ocean basin to the south during the cretaceous troodos ocean northward subduction began santonian the first major deformation d1 is attributed to pervasive dextral strike slip which removed the mesozoic passive margin and brecciated and metamorphosed the remaining platform in the maastrichtian and early tertiary the area subsided and scree breccias were shed from scarps into pelagic carbonate depositing seas while bimodal within plate type lavas were erupted in an extensional setting influenced by strike slip by mid eocene time shortening first evidence by flysch and olistostrome deposition culminated in strong southward thrusting d2 and localized metamorphism northward subduction south of cyprus ensued and the range lay in an extensional fore arc setting in late eocene and miocene time the area then subsided dramatically and accumulated thick turbidite sequences derived from eroding tauride mountain areas to the northeast faulting and general uplift in the late miocene was followed by renewed compressional deformation climaxing in mid pliocene time d3 with large scale thrusting and tilting pulsed vertical uplift continued through the quaternary similar volcanic and metamorphic rocks formed along the kyrenia lineament at intervals sedimentary rocks emerge as the most sensitive tectonic setting indicators long lived lineaments like the kyrenia range are inherently very complicated and perceived simple solutions in other cases should be viewed with some scepticism

late eocene neogene sedimentary geology of the girne kyrenia range northern cyprus a case history of sedimentation related to progressive and diachronous continental collision abstract sedimentary geology can shed light on the processes of continental collision the easternmost mediterranean provides an exceptional opportunity to study sediments deposited during progressive and diachronous continental collision with implications for comparable settings elsewhere here we focus on sediment sources pathways and deposition of mostly deep sea clastic sediments exposed in northern cyprus the sedimentary basin forms part of the northern continental margin of the southern neotethys ocean and is represented by a ca 200 km long e w trending arcuate lineament encompassing northern cyprus and its submarine link with turkey the upper eocene upper miocene basin was divided into northerly and southerly sub basins during mid to late miocene time by an e w trending inferred syn depositional fault lineament the sequence begins with non marine to shallow marine basal conglomerates late eocene that abruptly fine upwards into siliciclastic turbidites oligocene followed by biogenic calciturbidites and marls aquitanian langhian during mid late miocene the northerly sub basin was characterised by thin to medium bedded calciturbidites and marls serravallian overlain by thick bedded medium grained lithic sandstones tortonian in contrast the southern sub basin is dominated by siliciclastic turbidites with abundant sole structures burdigalian tortonian palaeocurrent evidence indicates dominantly westward sediment transport especially during the late miocene the serravallian tortonian sandstones of the northern sub basin are relatively rich in carbonates while the southern sub basin contains more siliciclastic and ophiolite derived detritus indicating differences in sediment supply in general the upper eocene basal conglomerates were mainly derived from the north from within the girne kyrenia range and its inferred northward extension in response to rapid subsidence reflecting possible southward subduction zone retreat clastic sediment sources to the north then submerged while clastic sediment was instead mainly supplied from the south neotethyan suture zone to the east and northeast in southern turkey reflecting diachronous collision deep water deposition persisted in the easternmost mediterranean basin further west until this was terminated in northern cyprus by thrusting folding during latest miocene earliest pliocene quaternary collision related uplift ensued similar sedimentary development is to be expected in collisional settings elsewhere e g tethyan closure in the himalayas iapetus closure in the appalachians

sedimentology of a late cenozoic collisional sequence the misis complex adana southern turkey abstract this study is concerned with miocene sequences formed within part of the cukurova basin of southern turkey a major downwarp created during the early stages of collision between the afro arabian plate and the tauride anatolian microplate assemblage we report here the results of a combined stratigraphical sedimentological structure and geochemical study of the misis complex a structurally elevated segment of cukurova basin fill this analysis has demonstrated the structurally imbricated nature of the misis sequences and the tectonic juxtaposition of originally well separated coeval facies the initial discernible phase of basin filling pre burdigalian was marked by deep marine conditions and marginal tectonic instability probably related to a late phase of tauride nappe advance the subsequent phase of crustal extension burdigalian early tortonian produced expansion of the cukurova basin limits and an upwards shoaling succession in which sediment transport towards the southwest gradually became dominant as a result of earlier suturing and uplift in northeasterly sectors of the collision zone the miocene arenites of the misis complex are petrographically diverse with common siliciclastic and carbonate detrital admixtures and mineralogically immature and their position in petrotectonic fields indicates a compound provenance from both recycled orogen and magmatic arc sources a noteworthy petrographic feature is the compositional similarity of arenites from both shallow and deep marine facies the general succession of neogene facies observed in the cukurova basin and misis complex is consistent with their evolution within a perisutural foreland basin but this interpretation is complicated by petrographic and geochemical features attributed to remnants of an older magmatic arc later stages of basin filling are also marked by the local occurrence of anomalous palaeoenvironmental associations including olistostromic units attributed to contemporaneous intra basinal tectonism

structural development of the central kyrenia range north cyprus in its regional setting in the eastern mediterranean region a detailed structural analysis of the mesozoic cenozoic geological development of the central segment of the kyrenia range in its regional tectonic context is given here the structural evidence comes from five structural traverses outcrop observations small scale structures and related regional evidence the majority of the structures are fault planes of which a subordinate number exhibit slickenlines fault plane data n 2688 with kinematics n 537 additional kinematic data were obtained from c s fabrics and folds small scale structures in each stratigraphic unit were backstripped to reveal relative chronology synthesis of the structural information indicates three phases of convergence related deformation 1 late cretaceous associated with greenschist facies metamorphism followed by exhumation that was probably associated with wnw ese to ene wsw trending high angle faulting 2 mid eocene associated with southward thrusting coupled with n s strike slip transfer faulting and oblique faulting in an overall sinistral transpressive stress regime 3 late miocene earliest pliocene involving southward thrusting and folding localised back thrusting extensive fault reactivation and large scale segmentation of the range intense uplift of the kyrenia range took place during the plio pleistocene possibly related to the collision of the eratosthenes seamount with the cyprus trench to the south of the island the three main convergent phases relate to stages of northward subduction and diachronous continental collision affecting the northerly active continental margin of the southern neotethys

deep sea fan deposits in the macigno formation middle upper oligocene of the gordana valley northern apennines italy abstract facies characteristics are described for a 2300 m thick turbidite succession of the macigno formation middle upper oligocene which crops out as a continuously exposed section in the gordana valley northern apennines in the study area the macigno formation consists of two sandy members separated by a shaly member the sandy members contain lithic associations characteristic of submarine fan deposits and form distinct fan complexes the middle shaly member represents a period of basin starvation three main facies associations are recognized in the macigno fan deposits fan fringe outer fan lobe and braided midfan facies associations the fan fringe deposits consist of monotonous or small scale cyclically arranged thin bedded turbidites the outer fan lobe deposits are composed of medium to very thick bedded classical turbidites internally organized in thickening upward cycles with minor intercalations of thin bedded sandstone beds two distinct types of outer fan lobe deposits distal and proximal are recognized on the basis of rock type internal organization and vertical facies relationships the midfan deposits consist of amalgamated massive sandstone and pebbly sandstone which display repeated thinning upward cycles the three main facies associations are superposed t define major thickening and coarsening upward cycles reflecting distinct episodes of fan progradation the relationships between the facies associations of the macigno deposits and the existing models of submarine fan sedimentation are discussed after the deposition of the fan complexes fan sedimentation in this part of the basin was replaced by movements of allochthonous units heralded by large olistostromes

palaeoenvironmental analysis of a miocene basin in the high taurus mountains southern turkey and its palaeogeographical and structural significance determination of the relationships between the southern marine dominated miocene basins of south central turkey and their continental hinterland in southern turkey has traditionally been frustrated by the apparent absence of basin remnants within the taurus mountains the dikme basin which seems to be an enclave of basin remnants within the aladag mountains eastern taurides consists mainly of coarse grained continental sediments of various facies these mostly early middle miocene sediments were studied to determine the depositional environments and the factors controlling the basin formation and basin fill architecture to attempt to close the information gap between the adana basin to the south and central anatolian miocene further to the north a generally southwest flowing axial fluvial system and interfingering coarse grained marginal alluvial clastics derived from northwest and southeast were identified the marginal facies to the northwest is bounded by a n 55 e running structural lineament that starts from the ecemis fault zone and in digital elevation models extends toward the north of the study area along this lineament miocene sediments onlap steep fault line escarpments certain miocene levels are tectonically disrupted and an intraformational unconformity and boulder conglomerates are also well developed in the miocene sequence the southeast boundary is similarly defined by a ne trending fault that periodically elevated the adjacent tufanbeyli autochthon producing coarse clastics from this area this boundary fault also induced fining upwards vertical patterns and synsedimentary deformation in the marginal facies additionally the central part of the basin exhibits a distinct fault defined morphology characterized by small scale tens of metres to 150 m high valley and sill topography a thin marine interval was also encountered in the southernmost part of the basin indicating that the clastic system originating around this area debouched into a miocene sea situated further to the south the proposed palaeogeography and basin fill model suggests that the dikme basin and similar miocene remnants all controlled mainly by a northeast running extensional or transtensional fault system may have been parts of the terrestrial hinterland that supplied sediment to rapidly subsiding marine areas further south such as the adana basin

arc related origin of volcaniclastic sequences in the misis complex southern turkey the miocene ophiolitic melange flysch association of the misis complex in southern turkey contains three main units of clastic sediments that exhibit abundant acidic mafic and ultramafic clasts of magmatic origin these are a mixed volcaniclastics vitric lithic and crystal tuffs from the matrix of the melange b volcaniclastics vitric tuffs from large bedded sedimentary olistoliths and c turbiditic flysch sediments with an admixture of magmatic metamorphic and sedimentary clasts chemical and petrographie data suggest that magmatic clasts within the volcaniclastic sediments units a and b were derived from two main sources an acidic calc alkali volcanic arc and a back arc ophiolite complex now represented by basalt pillow lavas and ultramafic blocks within the melange the turbiditic flysch sediments unit c represent the accumulated debris of the denuded acidic arc together with ophiolitic material derived via dismemberment and tectonic erosion of the back arc basin crust chemica

the maras triple junction southern turkey based on digital elevation model and satellite imagery interpretation this paper describes major structures in the area of the triple junction of the african anatolian and arabian plates near maras southern turkey a review of the literature on the paleogeographic evolution since mid cretaceous time leads to the idea of the southern tethys mesogea persisting between anatolia and africa arabia until middle late miocene consequently collision may have started later and northward subducting lithosphere may still exist under anatolia the dead sea fault may have initiated near the first collision between the anatolian continent and the western corner of the african arabian continent at which point it may have propagated southward a digital elevation model spot and landsat mss images and field work suggest relief js mainly related to finite deformation resulting from on going collision that began at around 13 ma the images show that the east anatolian fault does not crosscut the central taurus belt field data argue that this belt is a left lateral oblique slip fault zone the southern contact of anatolia passes north of the amanos range continental par t of the african plate and connects with the misis range to the southwest the adana low plain may be regarded as a basin formed at a releasing bend the karasu fault zone which belongs to the dead sea fault zone seems to be transpressive and in this case the karasu basin is not a graben north of the amanos range the giirun arc is thrust to the north and may be considered the result of local collision of the uplifting amanos range into anatolia the maras triple junction is accompanied by deformations affecting all plates at the regional scale

asian collisional subduction a key process driving formation of the tibetan plateau using silicone slabs as a model analogue for lithospheric plates subducting into a box of glucose syrup as an analogue of the mantle we explore the subduction of continental lithosphere in a context of intercontinental collision the continental indenter pushed by a piston reproducing the collision attached to a dense oceanic plate subducts to two thirds of the depth of the mantle box we show that surprisingly the continental plate attached to the back wall of the box subducts even if not attached to a dense oceanic slab the engine of this subduction is not the weight of the slab because the slab is lighter than the mantle but the motion of the piston which generates horizontal tectonic forces these are transmitted to the back wall plate through the indenter and the upper plate at the surface and by the advancing indenter slab through the mantle at shallow depth we define this process as collisional subduction occurring in a compressional context the collisional subduction absorbs between 14 and 20 of the convergence and represents an unexplored component of collisional mass balance the transmission of tectonic forces far from the collision front favors the formation of a wide plateau our experiments reproduce adequately the amount and geometry of the asian lithosphere subduction episodes inferred during the collision leading us to conclude that it reproduces adequately the physics of such process

upper miocene pleistocene deformation of the girne kyrenia range and dar dere ovgos lineaments northern cyprus role in collision and tectonic escape in the easternmost mediterranean region

the miocene of the hatay area s turkey transition from the arabian passive margin to an underfilled foreland basin related to closure of the southern neotethys ocean abstract miocene sediments of the hatay area document the distal southerly part of an underfilled peripheral foreland basin related to the closure of the southern neotethys the basin is underlain by latest cretaceous and eocene shallow marine carbonates interpreted as the youngest part of the arabian passive margin succession unconformably overlying lower miocene conglomerates sandstones and palaeosols up to 250 m thick represent braided river deposits derived from an uplifted area to the south during the middle miocene carbonate sediments accumulated in a variety of shallow marine environments dominated by a northward sloping ramp with non marine peritidal lagoonal and coral reef deposition in local areas the upper miocene succession is mainly deeper water hemipelagic marl with clastic interbeds messinian evaporites were deposited near the depocentre the early miocene coarse fluvial sediments above the regional unconformity reflect the development of a flexural bulge or re activated basement structure the middle miocene carbonates and upper miocene marls are interpreted as the lower and middle units of an underfilled trinity considered typical of peripheral foreland basins similar lower miocene coarse clastic sediments and mid miocene shallow water carbonates unconformably overlie the arabian platform succession c 75 km to the north where the succession continues upwards into thick shallow marine to non marine terrigenous sediments upper unit of the trinity sourced from the overthrust load comparable coarse clastic sediments are absent from the distal foreland basin in the hatay area probably reflecting its more southerly position structural barriers in the foreland and the westward bypassing of sediment towards the mediterranean sea regional convergence halted by the end of the miocene and was followed by strike slip and westward tectonic escape as a result the miocene foreland basin was dismembered to form the plio quaternary transtensional hatay graben this like many other foreland basins shows some features which are not accommodated by ideal models of foreland basin evolution

origin and evolution of the neogene iskenderun basin northeastern mediterranean sea abstract detailed interpretation of multichannel seismic reflection profiles and biostratigraphic data from exploration wells shows that the iskenderun basin evolved as a broad depocentre during the early miocene between the tectonically active front of the taurides in the west and northwest and the uplifted kizildag hatay ophiolite complex in the south and southeast the eastern portion of this large miocene basin is represented in the subsurface of the iskenderun basin by two westerly dipping tilted wedges which display progressive onlap to the east over the ophiolitic basement this architecture suggests that they developed as growth strata wedges in a piggy back basin on the trailing limb of a large easterly transported ophiolite thrust sheet the well data show that the emplacement of this thrust sheet occurred progressively from the serravallian to the upper messinian in the eastern portion of the iskenderun basin the presence of the lower wedge in the footwall of the ophiolite cored thrust culmination and the presence of the upper growth strata wedge of the upper subunit of unit 3 onlapping the forelimb of the thrust culmination show that the main phase of thrust activity was initiated later in the serravallian with uplift continuing to the tortonian the absence of messinian evaporites over the crest of the culmination demonstrates that the structure was an erosive paleohigh in the messinian the absence of lowermost pliocene strata in the eastern iskenderun basin suggests that this region remained emergent at that time whereas deposition occurred without significant interruption to the west over the backlimb portion of the culmination the seismic and well data show that contractional deformation in the iskenderun basin had ceased prior to the development of the m reflector as an erosional unconformity the data further suggest that the transition between the late miocene fold thrust structures and the thick plio quaternary succession along the northwestern margin of the iskenderun basin is defined by a fundamental angular unconformity developed by deep erosion of the leading edge of the fold thrust belt as represented by the m reflector the plio quaternary forms a thick relatively undisturbed wedge which shows east and south directed onlap over the northwestern flank of the kizildag hatay ophiolitic basement high and the southeastern flank of the misis fold thrust belt we infer that the iskenderun basin was primarily a miocene intramontane depression that was passively filled during the plio quaternary by predominantly deltaic sedimentation with extensional faults providing minor accommodation space