Optically stimulated luminescence dating of the quaternary sediments in the gulf of Izmit

The study area is located in the Gulf of Izmit, between North-Dilovası and South-Hersekburnu. In this field, a series of offshore drillings were carried out in the Gulf of Izmit in 2010 within the scope of the "Gebze-Orhangazi-Izmir Highway" Project, and samples collected from the cores of seven drillings were studied in this study. In this research, quartz excistence in these sediment samples collected from the cores was investigated by X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD) method. Quartz was seperated as a result of laboratory studies and numerical aging was performed by applying Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) method. The sea level and environmental changes in the study area were determined by using the obtained these age data together with 14C age data and fauna contents (ostracods, foraminifers and mollusc) found by previous researchers in the region. The caliber age range obtained from the OSL method was determined as the oldest 110,000 years (Late Pleistocene) and the youngest 5,600 years (Holocene). Marine Isotope Stages (MIS), MIS-5, MIS-3 and MIS-1, were distinguished according to the age findings. The brackish and marine environmental periods when the Sea of Marmara was under the influence of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have been seted forth.