The former Turbidite Research Group at the University of Aberdeen initiated pioneering research, which continues with the Ancient Marine Systems of Turkey (TAMS) project. The TAMS project aims to deepen our understanding of sedimentary processes and deposits in various ancient marine basins in Turkey.
In southeastern Turkey, specifically in the Kahramanmaraş Basin, lies an extraordinary geological treasure: a continuous stratigraphic sequence exposed from an ancient sloping channel system that spans over 5 km (over 4 km of actual vertical thickness). This sequence showcases channelized and complex mass transport features dating from the Middle to Upper Miocene. These deposits coincide with the final stages of the closure of the Neotethys Ocean, when the Arabian and Anatolian plates underwent continental collision. This collision led to the placement of allochthonous units over the Arabian platform and the development of several independent marine basins along the Asirian suture zone, including the Adana, Elaziğ, and Kahramanmaraş basins.
Our findings reveal a complex variety of channelized features with diverse 3D geometries, fill architectures, spatial relationships, and trajectories. One of the most remarkable channel fills is approximately 2.5 km wide and 300 m deep at its axis, standing out as one of the largest and best-preserved channel fills in the world. This large channel fill, or canyon fill if preferred, traverses previous channel complexes and predominantly consists of conglomeratic sandstones.
The TAMS project focuses on mapping, recording, and describing the sedimentary architectures of the Alikayası sloping channel system, as well as the lobe deposits in the same Maras basin and beyond, in the Adana basin. In the Adana basin, two small sandy fan systems are highlighted: the eastern and western fans, characterized by sandy frontal lobes dominated by well-exposed turbidites (i.e., lobe complexes).
Through the TAMS project, we aspire not only to expand our understanding of ancient marine systems but also to elucidate the geological history of the southeastern Turkey region.
The Alikayası System: One of the best-exposed sloping channel complexes on the planet.
