AMQ abs Tagliasacchi et al PALCOM 161-164.pub Available online http://amq.aiqua.it ISSN (online): 2279-7335 Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary, Vol. 31 (Quaternary: Past, Present, Future - AIQUA Conference, Florence, 13-14/06/2018), 161 - 164 PALAEOCLIMATE CHANGES IN THE AFYON PROVINCE, SW-TURKEY, DURING THE MIDDLE-LATE PLEISTOCENE: SIGNALS FROM CALCAREOUS TUFA POLLEN AND STABLE ISOTOPE RECORDS Ezher Tagliasacchi 1, Mine Sezgül Kayseri-Özer 2 1 Pamukkale University, Geology Engineering Department, Kınıklı, Denizli, Turkey 2 Dokuz Eylul University, Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Haydar Aliyev Bul, İnciraltı-Izmir, Turkey Corresponding author: E. Tagliasacchi ABSTRACT: The calcareous tufas of Sarıkavak located in the northern part of NE-SW trending Acıgöl Graben in SW-Turkey are investi- gated in detail. For this aim, various analyses (stable isotopes, U/Th dating, palynology) have been carried out on samples obtained from both outcrops and drilling logs in and surrounding Sarıkavak Village. U/Th dating shows that these carbonates precipitated from 400 ka up to 80 ka. Preliminary pollen data, document climatic variability between MIS 11 and MIS 8 in the studied area. KEYWORDS: Calcareous tufa, palynology, palaeoenvironment, palaeoclimate, Afyon, SW-Turkey 1. INTRODUCTION Terrestrial carbonates such as travertine and cal- careous tufa are exposed in several depositional, cli- matic, and tectonic contexts throughout the world (Chafetz & Folk, 1984; Pedley, 1990; Ford & Pedley, 1996; Pentecost, 2005). Their depositional, geochemi- cal, isotopic and palynological signatures are very com- plex to interpret in terms of paleoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic changes (Altunel & Hancock, 1993; Guo & Riding, 1998; Bertini et al., 2008; Bertini et al., 2014; Ricci et al., 2015; Toker et al., 2015 and Toker, 2017). The purpose of this study is to reveal the sedimen- tological and depositional processes as well as to ap- proach the palaeoclimatic changes during the Middle- Late Pleistocene in Sarıkavak calcareous tufa located in Afyon province, SW-Turkey. 2. STUDY AREA The Acıgöl Graben Basin is located approximately 50 km northeast of Denizli and southern Afyon province in SW-Turkey (Fig. 1). It is an asymmetric graben, ap- proximately 30 km long and 10 km wide, floored by the Mesozoic-Paleogene carbonate and ultramafic bedrocks (Göktaş et al., 1989; Şenel, 1997; Konak & Şenel, 2002). The Upper Miocene-Pliocene deposits uncon- formably overlay molasse type deposits known as “Çardak-Dazkırı Basin” and mainly consist of mudstone- sandstone alternations and clay-rich limestone (Göktaş et al., 1989; Şenel, 1997; Toker, 2009). The basin is bordered by NE-SW trending faults (i.e. the Acıgöl fault in the south and the Maymundağı fault in the north) which created a narrow corridor in which Lake Acıgöl developed during the Pliocene (Fig.1). The Acıgöl Gra- ben basin started to form during the Neotectonic period and deposits have been uplifted by activated older faults or newly generated younger faults (Helvacı et al., 2013). Travertine and calcareous tufa deposits overlay on the Pliocene sediments and they are very well exposed in the Örtülü and Sarıkavak villages (Fig. 1). 3. MATERIAL AND METHODS Investigations on the Sarıkavak calcareous tufa were divided into two steps: field work and laboratory analyses. During the field survey, we carried out facies description and samples collection from the non-marine carbonates and associated sediments. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope measurements of the carbonates (sixty-three old tufa samples) for the pa- laeoenvironmental interpretation of these tufas were performed at the carbonate laboratory of stable isotopes, department of Geoscience, University of Arizona (USA). Carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of bulk carbonate samples were carried out using the continuous flow tech- nique (Spötl and Vennemann, 2003). 13C/12C and 18O/16O ratios were determined in CO2 gases liberated by phos- phoric acid using a Finnigan delta plus XP mass spec- trometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bath, UK). U-Th disequilibrium analyses were accomplished in low primary porosity twenty-three tufa samples. These samples were analyzed at the GEOTOP research center of the University of Quebec (Montreal, Canada). Palynological analyses were conducted in two differ- ent laboratories. Eight samples from the Sarıkavak non- marine carbonates were analyzed at the Laboratory of Palynology of the University of Florence, Italy, and the rest of them was analyzed at the Laboratory of Palynol- ogy of the Department of the Institute of Marine Science and Technology, İzmir, Turkey. https://doi.org/10.26382/AIQUA.2018.AIQUAconference 4. RESULTS In the Sarıkavak tufas, seven lithofacies were dis- tinguished. They are characterized by the good occur- rence of mosses -included bryophytes, and macro- phytes. However also other tufa lithofacies are well ex- pressed by the occurrence of phytoclastic, oncolitic, stromatolitic, intra and extra clasts and sapropelitic tu- fas. All facies represent fluvial and fluvio-palustrine de- positional systems (Toker, 2017). Ostracods and gastro- pods are the most abundant faunal remains. Palynologi- cal analyses showed that palaeosol levels are more enriched in palynomorphs than bulk carbonate deposits. Pollen of gymnosperms and angiosperms plus non- pollen palynomorphs are scarcely observed in travertine samples, whereas they are abundant in palaeosol sam- ples. Palynoflora defined in the palaeosol level is espe- cially characterized by herbaceous taxa (i.e. Poaceae, Asteraceae Asteroideae, Artemisia, Asteraceae Cichorioideae, Polygonum persicaria, Geraniaceae and Chenopodiaceae) but also includes trees taxa (i.e. Quercus, Castanea, Cedrus and other Pinaceae). Non- pollen palynomorphs and other organic material were also abundantly recorded (Fig. 2). Pollen and other paly- nomorphs were detected in the bulk carbonate deposits in the Sarıkavak tufas between the MIS 8 (291±28ka) and MIS 11 (359±21ka). The MIS 11 interval is charac- terized by gymnosperm and angiosperm pollen (Pinaceae-Pinus spp., Cedrus, Castanea, Oleaceae and Chenopodiaceae). The pollen assemblage of MIS 10 especially includes Abies, Pinaceae-Pinus spp., Oleaceae, Fagaceae-Quercus evergreen type, As- 162 Tagliasacchi E., Kayseri-Özer M.S. Fig. 1 - Location of the study area. The satellite photo shows the Sarıkavak and surrounding areas in SW-Turkey. 163 teraceae Asteroideae, Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae. Palynomorph association of MIS 9 was dominated by Pinaceae-Pinus sp. (haploxylon and diploxylon types), Cedrus, Pterocarya, Oleaceae, Fagaceae-Quercus ev- ergreen type and Artemisia. These changes in the paly- nomorph association could be related to the climatic changes in the MIS periods. δ18O values are in the range −10.83‰ to −7.49‰ VPDB while δ13C values vary from −1.63‰ to +1.5‰ VPDB. U/Th dating of the Sarıkavak calcareous tufas yielded 474 ka, 333 ka, 291 ka, 188 ka and 80 ka. Stable isotope pattern is appar- ently coherent with the palynological-derived palaeoen- vironental reconstruction. 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study permitted identification of seven tufa lithofacies which represent fluvial to fluvio-palustrine depositional systems. According to radiometric dating, carbonate precipitation occurred continuously across consecutive interglacial (e.g. MIS 11 and MIS 9) and glacial periods (e.g. MIS 10 and MIS 8) (Fig. 2). The presence of palaeosols land debris flow supports main changes in atmospheric and edaphic humidity. Precipi- tation of terrestrial carbonates started again to the edge of the graben fault (which confined the Acıgöl Graben, as fluvial tufa deposits), along MIS 5, till ca. 80 ka. According to the stable isotopic measurements, δ13C values are between ‰ -1.6 and +1.5 ‰ while those of δ18O are between ‰ -7.4 and ‰ -10.8. The changes of δ18O values could be related to the evaporation in the depositional environment, while the less negative δ13C values could be interpreted as surface water mixing with the CO2 transported from deep hydro thermal waters and decreasing the C isotope values. The spores and pollen records give some prelimi- nary clues about the palaeovegetational and palaeocli- mate of the region which is especially useful for a better interpretation of the δ13C stable isotopic fluctuations (i.e. arid vs less arid/humid conditions). ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This study is financially supported by TUBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) (Project no. 115Y493) and Pamukkale Univer- sity Scientific Research Project Unit (Project no. 2014HZL010). The authors warmly thank to reviewers for the helpful comments and suggestions. REFERENCES Arenas-Abad C., Vazquez-Urbez M., Pardo-Tirapu G., Sancho-Marcen C. (2010) - Fluvial and associated carbonate deposits. 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