Geology, mineralogy and petrography of the kağizman Kağızman (Kars) - Tuzluca (Iğdır) salt beds

The main aim of this study to explain that rock salt beds existance in the Kağızman district of Kars and theTuzluca area of Iğdır, and the formation in which these beds occur and stratigraphical and mineralogical peculiarities of other formations adjacent with these formation. Upper Cretaceous ? Paleocene aged Old Kağızman ophiolitic complex forms the basement of studied area in the district of Kağızman. Early Pliocene Kızıllar formation unconformably overlies this ophiolitic complex. Late Pliocene Tuzluca formation conformably overlies Early Pliocene Kızıllar formation. Kağızman volcanites cut and overly these units. Quaternary aged terrace /slope materials and alluvium unit overlies all these unit unconformably. The oldest unit existance in the studied area in Tuzluca area is the Early Pliocene Turabi formation. Early Pliocene aged Çinçevat formation and Late Pliocene aged Tuzluca formation deposit on this unit conformably. Quaternary aged terrace /slope materials and alluvium unit overlies all these unit unconformably. Thin sections were made from the 80 items t samples taken from studied areas and petrograpic and mineralogical characteristics of these samples were explained. According to these samples anhydrite, gypsum, salt, celestite, and calcite mineral paragenesises were present in the studied areas. Anticline and syncline extending along SW - NE studies in the Kağızman area and one reverse fault extending along N 60 E / 47 SW were observed in the structural studies in the Kağızman area. By structural observation made in the Tuzluca area, Tuzluca syncline extending along NW- SE and one normal fault extending along N 60 W/ 75 S-W were observed. In this study, reserves amount of rock salt beds in Kağızman (Kars) and Tuzluca (Iğdır) are expressed and the condition of the salt beds are shown. Keywords: Kağızman, Tuzluca, Rock Salt, Evaporites, Gypsum