Facies analyses and economy of travertine beds in the Salihli area (Manisa, Western Turkey)

This study examines the microfacies characteristics of travertine beds in the Salihli area. Within this context, it is aimed that the stratigraphy, carbonate structures and facies characteristics of travertine deposits which are commercially named as ?Medium?, ?Noçe? and ?Trabej? are determined around Dombaylı and Kızılhavlu villages.The carbonate structures are classified as, micrite structures and facies (clotted (peloidal) micrite, microbial micrite and oncoidal clump), spar structures and/or facies (algal microspar clump, algal spar clump, spar shell, intra clotted micrite spar, inner shrub spar and spar carbonate fragments), shrub structures and facies (mat quill-feather, spar quill, mass shrub, higher plants spar quill and higher plants quill-feather shrub), biological structures (higher plant stems, gastropodas, ostracodas, charophitas, oncoids), pores (shrinkage and gas escape pores, intra frame pores, inner organism pores), other structures and/or facies (intraclasts, fecal pellet, algal ball and fragmented carbonate facies) and layer-laminae structures formed by micrite & spar structures in the sequence.The ?Medium? type travertine beds deposited in very shallow lakeside (litoral) facies, ?Noçe? type travertine beds deposited in more static and relatively deeper litoral-sublitoral environment, Trabej? type travertine is made up of limestones-clayey limestones showing depositional and texturel charactericts of true travertine deposits. This characteristic indicates that because of the sedimentary fill, deposition area began to die and the environment turned into an extensive static shallow lake. Regular and irregular alternation of carbonate facies within the sequence and the sudden changes form shallow to deeper conditions imply oscilations in water depth caused by tectonically controlled collapse in the base of lake.