Manifestations of syn-eruptive fluid circulations on carbonate veins,
Central Anatolian Volcanic Province
Abstract
Although there are several attempts to compare the age distributions on
travertines with episodes of surrounding volcanism, the correlation
between the precipitation record of carbonate veins and the fractural
pattern around a volcanic conduit has not yet been examined. In this
study, we investigate the geochronological, geochemical and isotopic
characteristics of two travertine deposits (Balkaya and Sarıhıdır)
surrounded by many eruption centers in the central Anatolia with ample
paleoeruption records. High-resolution carbonate precipitation records
revealed by U-series dating are well correlated with the compiled
dataset on Acıgöl caldera and Erciyes stratovolcano eruptions with
regard to fractural positioning to the volcanic centers. Syn-eruptive
carbonate precipitation is thought to occur because of sudden flux of
CO-rich fluid along the extensional fracture systems aligned tangential
to the related volcanic conduit and, therefore, may be an alternative
technique for the reconstruction of paleoeruptions. δO and δC values of
the travertine sites are within the range of meteogene fluids and δO
values show a similar trend to climate proxies preserved in different
depositional environments throughout the world. It is likely due to that
studied carbonates were precipitated under similar fluid conditions
which are represented by high rate of dilatation followed by the
meteoric water influx into the extensional fracture systems.