Determination of boundaries, geological outcrops and structural features of the Sivas Tertiary Basin/Turkey using Landsat TM/ETM+ and SPOT XS images

Abstract

The Sivas Basin is one of the most well known major Tertiary basins of the Anatolia connected with the evolution of the Neotethyan Ocean. Central Anatolian Thrust Belt contains realms of this ocean and bounds the basin from north. Therefore, realms of the Inner Tauride Ocean are also surrounded the basin from southeast and represented with allochthonous units. Axis of the eastern section of this basin lies approximately in E-W trending between Erzincan and Sivas settlements, This trend turns toward NE-SW between Sivas and Kayseri in west. This roughly huge elliptical basin characterizes within several sedimentary, magmatic and metamorphic occurrences because of varying events during its complex geological history. The basin also exhibits spectacular structural features in regional scale such as foldings and faultings. It is possible to see evidences of these intensive deformations because of NNW-SSE compression regime developing after Miocene. Under this stress regime, Oligocene continental deposits were deformed by decollément gypsum levels. Sivas Basin also provides easiness of interpretation geologically utilizing multispectral data sets such as SPOT XS and Landsat ETM+ considering that the arid climatic conditions of the region. In this study, image processing methods such as principal component analysis and classification methods were applied to highlight lithological features of the basin. Additionally, DEM analysis was also realized to expose structural features of the basin. These remote sensing studies were supported by field campaigns which were realized during last few years.