Mapping of the Structural Lineaments and Sedimentary Basement Relief Using Gravity Data to Guide Mineral Exploration in the Denizli Basin

Abstract

The Aegean Graben System is a complex tectonic structure in Western Anatolia and the Denizli Graben is a member of this system that hosts many geothermal springs, ore deposits, and travertine areas. In this study, the gravity data were analyzed to determine the subsurface geological structures and the depth model of the basin. The Bouguer gravity anomaly has a NW–SE pattern that is consistent with the general trend of the Denizli Basin. The pre-Neogene basement depths range from 0.1 km to 2.3 km. The Denizli Basin is composed of the Çürüksu Basin and the Laodikia sub-basin. The basins have undulated structures with many depressions; the deepest depression region is in the northern part of the Çürüksu Basin, which is close to the Pamukkale Fault Zone. In addition, the new gravity lineament map was obtained by using new-generation edge detection techniques: the tilt angle of the horizontal gradient amplitude (TAHG), and fast sigmoid-edge detection (FSED) of gravity data. The new proposed lineament map shows that the Denizli Basin has complex structures consisting of NW–SE, E–W, and NE–SE trending lineaments, and the major NW–SE trending faults and NE–SW trending lineaments control the main structural configuration. The uplifts and depressions in the basin deposit and the intersection area of lineaments are promising prospective areas for mineral deposits and have energy resource potential.