Depositional Environments and Petrography of Denizli Travertines

Abstract

ABSTRACT- Quaternary to Recent travertines in the Denizli basin are distinguished in 9 lithofacies according to the field and microscobic features. These are: 1) Crystalline crust, 2) Shrub, 3) Pisolith, 4) Paper-thin raft, 5) Coated gas bubble, 6) Reed, 7) Lithoclast, 8) Pebbly travertines and 9) Palaeosols. Various combinations of the distinguished lithofacies are deposited on slope, depression, mound, fissure ridge and channel depositional envi-ronments. In addition, these main depositional environments are divided into subenvironments. As to isotope analy-sis made of some travertine samples, d3C and d8O values show a wide distribution. The d13C values are between 0.35%o and 6.70%o; d18O values are-6.47%o to-15.10 %o. Consequently, an isotopic grouping have been brought up based on lithofacies variation and depositional environments.