Geology and geothermal energy potential of Erzin ( Tatay ) region

In this study, it is aimed to reveal the development mechanisms of the Başlamış travertines. The study area is located in Başlamış village of Erzin district of Hatay. The bedrock of the study area is the Cretaceous Kızıldağ ophiolite and Quaternary alluvium and travertines overlying with discordance. The reservoir rock of the geothermal system is the Jurassic limestones observed under the ophiolitic sequence to the east of the study area. The age of the Başlamış travertines is given as Quaternary in previous studies made on the field. Analysis of the central fractures and fracture systems of the investigated travertines reveals that these structures occur within different periodic stress areas.The Başlamış travertines located in the study area is under the influence of the Dead Sea Fault system, which is a left-latheral strike-slip fault. Whole rock XRD, XRF and SEM analyzes were carried out from all rock samples collected during the field studies. According to whole rock XRD results, the main rocks are composed of calcite and aragonite minerals and according to XRF results, their chemical content is composed of calcium (Ca) element in 95,5 %.