Neotectonic signifiance of travertines on the northeast part of the east Anatolian fault system

Travertine depositions investigeted in frame of the thesis were precipitated in the extensional fields that are related to the activity of fault zones or segments of the East Anatolian Fault System (EAFS), which is a mega shear zone consisted of the left-lateral strike slip. Hacılar and Elmalı travertines the deposited along the Karlıova-Bingöl Segments of the EAFS; on the other hand, Baltaşı, Kılıçkaya and Bağdere travertine deposits occurred along the Bingöl-Yarpuzlu Segment. Based on the deposition of the travertine, while Hacılar and Elmalı travertine deposits are classified as fissure ridge-type travertine, Baltaşı, Kılıçkaya and Bağdere travertine deposits are classified as range-front travertines. Travertine deposits in the map of the area aligned from southwest to northeast as Kılıçkaya, Bağdere, Baltaşı, Elmalı, and Hacılar. Travertine bodies get younger towards the northeast, except Kılıçkaya travertine. These results are consistent with the fault system that controls the deposition of the travertine. Hacılar travertine deposits have the highest amount of the Sr with 16292 ppm, while Bağlarbaşı (Baltaşı) travertine deposits have the lowest amount of the Sr with 52 ppm. Hydrothermal veins in the Baltaşı travertine deposition area have the highest Fe and Mg elements. Stable isotope values are various in different travertine depositions areas. Elmalı travertine deposition area is represented by the highest δ13C with +7.7 to +11.2 (‰ PDB). On the other hand, Bağdere tufa area where it is located in south of the city of Elazığ is represented by the lowest δ13C. U-Th ages that range from 525.000 to 301 years have been yielded from the the travertines fields. Since the begining of the strike-slip deformation regime was accpeted as Late Pliocene, these age data, at least, imply the active periods of the fault segments, on which travertine masses located. Key Words: Travertine, East Anatolian Fault System, Elazığ, Bingöl, Neotectonic, Travertine Tectonics