Central Anatolian Plateau, Turkey: incision and paleoaltimetry recorded from volcanic rocks

Authors

ERKAN AYDAR
HÜSEYİN EVREN ÇUBUKÇU
ERDAL ŞEN
LÜTFİYE AKIN

DOI

10.3906/yer-1211-8

Abstract

The erosion/incision patterns of radiometrically well-constrained volcanic rocks provide excellent markers for revealing the landscape evolution. The Central Anatolian High Plateau represents an uplifted area that reaches up to 1500 m above sea level and includes the Cappadocian Volcanic Province (CVP). The CVP is composed of horizontally emplaced Neogene-Quaternary ignimbrites intercalated with lava flows and epiclastic continental sediments. River incision rates have been calculated using the morphological/paleoaltimetric features of radiometrically well-constrained volcanic units in the area. Starting from 10 Ma until 5 Ma, there was no major erosion or incision. The morphology, uplift rate, and incision rates of the CVP reveal that the onset of uplift is post 8 Ma and incision started after 5 Ma. Between 5 and 2.5 Ma, the incision rate is computed as 0.12 mm/year, whereas, in the last 2.5 Ma, the incision rate slowed down to 0.04 mm/year.

Keywords

Cappadocia, incision, uplift, paleoaltimetry, volcanics, erosion

First Page

739

Last Page

746

Recommended Citation

AYDAR, ERKAN; ÇUBUKÇU, HÜSEYİN EVREN; ŞEN, ERDAL; and AKIN, LÜTFİYE (2013) "Central Anatolian Plateau, Turkey: incision and paleoaltimetry recorded from volcanic rocks," Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences: Vol. 22: No. 5, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.3906/yer-1211-8
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/earth/vol22/iss5/3