SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Pamukkale Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 32 Sayı: 6

The investigation of crustal thickness in the historical Thrace Region using satellite gravity data

Tarihsel Trakya bölgesinde kabuk kalınlığının uydu gravite verileri ile araştırılması

Mehmet Özceylan, Erdinç Uslan, Emin Ulugergerli

Pages
1329–1338
Publication Date
2026-10-08
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗

Abstract

In this study, large-scale geological structures located in the geographical region known as the Historical Thrace region, which today extends within the borders of Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria, were investigated using the gravity method. In the first phase of the study, edge detection techniques applied to EGM08 satellite gravity data revealed that the Thrace fault zone extends to the Maritsa Valley Basin in Bulgaria. In the second phase of the study, first, the depths of the sources causing the Bouguer anomaly were estimated using evaluation techniques that employ the Fourier transform. Then, to assist in the calculation of crustal thickness, Demenitskaya, Woollard, and Woollard-Strange empirical relationships were applied to the data, and average crustal thicknesses were calculated. To verify the results, power spectrum and Parker-Oldenburg methods were used to calculate the crust-mantle boundary depth. The experimental results indicate that crustal thickness varies from 19 km to 43 km, from 20 km to 40 km in the Parker-Oldenburg method, and from 16 km to 45 km in the power spectrum analysis. In addition to aforementioned findings, variations in crustal topography indicate areas that could host large-scale basins, which are considered targets in oil and gas exploration.

Özet

Bu çalışmada Tarihsel Trakya bölgesi olarak bilinen ve günümüzde Türkiye, Yunanistan ve Bulgaristan sınırları içerisine uzanan coğrafi bölgede yer alan büyük ölçekli jeolojik yapılar gravite yöntemiyle araştırılmıştır. Çalışmanın ilk evresinde, EGM08 uydu gravite verisine uygulanan kenar belirleme teknikleri Trakya kırık kesiminin (Thrace fault zone) Bulgaristan’da Meriç Vadisi havzasına kadar uzandığını ortaya koymuştur. Çalışmanın ikinci evresinde ise önce Fourier dönüşümü kullanan değerlendirme tekniklerinden yararlanarak Bouguer anomalisine neden olan kaynakların derinlikleri kestirilmiştir. Ardından kabuk kalınlığının hesaplanmasına yardımcı olması bakımından Demenitskaya, Woollard ve Woollard-Strange deneysel (ampirik) bağıntıları verilere uygulanmış ve ortalama kabuk kalınlıkları hesaplanmıştır. Sonuçların denetlenmesi için kabuk-manto sınır derinliği hesabında güç spektrumu ve Parker-Oldenburg yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Deneysel sonuçlarda kabuk kalınlığının 19 km’den 43 km’ye, Parker-Oldenburg yönteminde 20 km’den 40 km’ye ve güç spektrumunda 16 km’den 45 km’ye değişim göstermektedir. Anılan sonuçlara ek olarak kabuk topografyasındaki değişimler petrol ve doğal gaz aramalarında hedef olarak da incelenen büyük ölçekli havzalara ev sahipliği yapabilecek alanlara işaret etmektedir.

Keywords
🔖

Cite This Article

Özceylan, M., Uslan, E., Ulugergerli, E. (2026). The investigation of crustal thickness in the historical Thrace Region using satellite gravity data. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 32 Sayı: 6, 1329–1338. https://doi.org/10.65206/pajes.93390

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

References (50)

  1. [1] Turgut S. Türkarslan M. Perinçek D. Evaluation of the Thrace sedimentary basin and its hydrocarbon prospectivity. Editor: Spencer, MA Generation, Accumulation, and Production of Europe’s Hydrocarbons, Special Publication of the European Association of Petroleum Geoscientists, 1, 415-437, 1991.
  2. [2] Siyako M, Huvaz O. “Eocene stratigraphic evolution of the Thrace Basin, Turkey”. Sedimentary Geology, 198(1-2), 75-91, 2007.
  3. [3] Perinçek D, Ataş N, Karatut Ş, Erensoy E. “Trakya Havzasında, danişmen formasyonu içindeki linyit katmanlarinin potansiyelini kontrol eden jeolojik faktörler”. Maden Tetkik Arama Dergisi, 150, 79-110, 2015.
  4. [4] Okay AI, Özcan E, Siyako M, Bürkan KA, Kylander-Clark ARC, Biggood MD, Shaw D, Simmons MD. “Thrace basin-An Oligocene clastic basin formed during the exhumation of the Rhodope Complex”. Tectonics, 42(10), e2023TC007766, 2023.
  5. [5] Grigoriadis VN, Tziavos IN, Tsokas GN, Stampolidis A. “Gravity data inversion for Moho depth modeling in the Hellenic area”. Pure Applied Geophysics, 173(4), 1223-1241, 2016.
  6. [6] Tirel C, Gueydan F, Tiberi C, Brun JP. “Aegean crustal thickness inferred from gravity inversion. Geodynamical implications”. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 228(3-4), 267-280, 2004.
  7. [7] Gholamrezaie E, Scheck-Wenderoth M, Bott J, Heidbach O, Strecker MR. “3-D crustal density model of the Sea of Marmara”. Solid Earth, 10, 785-807, 2019.
  8. [8] Schmidt S, Plonka C, Götze HJ, Lahmeyer B. “Hybrid modelling of gravity, gravity gradients and magnetic fields”. Geophysical Prospecting, 59, 1046-1051, 2011.
  9. [9] Starostenko V, Buryanov V, Makarenko I, Rusakov O, Stephenson R, Nikishin A, Georgiev G, Gerasimov M, Dimitriu R, Legostaeva O, Pchelarov V, Sava C. “Topography of the crust-mantle boundary beneath the Black Sea Basin”. Tectonophysics, 381(1-4), 211 -233, 2004.
  10. [10] Yegorova TP, Kozlenko VG, Starostenko VI, Shen EL, Botev EA. “Density inhomogeneities of the upper mantle of the Central Balkans”. Geophysical Journal International, 132, 283-294, 1998.
  11. [11] Özceylan M, Ulugergerli EU. “Gravite verileri ile trakya’nin tektonik izleri”. Trakya Üniversitesi I. Ulusal Edirne Sempozyumu, Edirne, Türkiye, 2-4 Mayıs 2024.
  12. [12] Özceylan M, Ulugergerli EU. “Tarihi Trakya Bölgesinde kabuk kalınlığının araştırılması”. TMMOB Jeofizik Mühendisleri Odası 21. Jeofizik Kongre ve Sergisi, Ankara, Türkiye, 16-18 Ekim 2024.
  13. [13] Görür N, Okay AI. “A fore-arc origin for the Thrace Basin, NW Turkey”. Geologische Rundschau, 85, 662-668, 1996.
  14. [14] Pavlides S, Chatzipetros A, Valkaniotis S. “Active faults of greece and surroundings”. 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, 6th-14th August 2008.
  15. [15] Emre Ö. Duman TY, Özalp S, Elmacı H, Olgun Ş, Şaroğlu F. “Açıklamalı Türkiye Diri Fay Haritası. Ölçek 1:1.250.000”. Maden Tetkik ve Arama Genel Müdürlüğü, Özel Yayın Serisi-30, Ankara, Türkiye, 2013.
  16. [16] Ranguelov B. “Earthquake “doublets”-case studies for Kresna-Kroupnik (BulgariaM7.8) and Gaziantep-Kahramanmaraş (Turkey-M7.8)”. Earthquake, 2(1), 1-15, 2024.
  17. [17] Pavlis NK, Holmes SA, Kenyon SC, Facto, JK. “The development and evaluation of the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM2008)”. Journal of Geophysical Research, 117, B04406, 2012.
  18. [18] Fullea J, Fernandez M, Zeyen H. “FA2BOUG-A FORTRAN 90 code to compute Bouguer gravity anomalies from gridded free-air anomalies: Application to the Atlantic-Mediterranean transition zone”. Computers & Geosciences, 34(12), 1665-1681, 2008.
  19. [19] Demenitskaya RM. “Planetary structure and their reflection in Bouguer anomalies”. Geology Bulletin, 8, 52-62, 1958.
  20. [20] Woolard GP. “Regional variation in gravity, in the Earth’s crust and upper Mantle”. Journal of Geophysics, 13, 320, 1959.
  21. [21] Woolard GP, Strange WE. “Gravity anomalies and Crust of the Earth in the Pacific Basin: The crust of the Pacific basin Geophysical monograph”. Journal of Geophysics, 67, 6-12, 1962.
  22. [22] Parker RL. “The rapid calculation of potential anomalies”, Geophysical Journal International. 31(4), 447-455, 1973.
  23. [23] Oldenburg DW. “The inversion and interpretation of gravity anomalies”. Geophysics, 39(4), 526-536, 1974.
  24. [24] Yurtoğlu N. “Cumhuriyet Döneminde Türkiye’de Petrol Arama Politikaları (1923-1950)”. Gazi Akademik Bakış, 10(20), 145-168, 2017.
  25. [25] Korkmaz C, Ulugergerli EU. “Trakya havzası ve çevresinde petrol ve doğal gaz aramaları: 1892-1958 aralığında tarihsel gelişim”, MTA Doğal Kaynaklar ve Ekonomi Bülteni, 39,49-57,2025.
  26. [26] Coskun B, “Influence of the Istranca-Rhodope Massifs and strands of the North Anatolian Fault on the oil potential of Thrace basin, NW Turkey”. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 27, 1-25, 2000.
  27. [27] Kasar S, Bürkan K, Siyako M, Demir O. “Tekirdağ- Şarköy-Keşan-Enez bölgesinin jeolojisi ve hidrokarbon olanakları”. Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı Arama Grubu Rapor No: 1771, 71, Ankara, Türkiye, 1983.
  28. [28] Gürgey K. “Estimation of oil in-place resources in the lower Oligocene Mezardere Shale, Thrace Basin”. Turkey. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 133, 543-565, 2015.
  29. [29] Zhang HL, Liu T, Yang YS. “Calculation of gravity and magnetic source boundaries based on anisotropy normalized variance”, Chinese Journal of Geophysics, 54(4), 560-567, 2011.
  30. [30] Cordell L, Grauch VJS. Mapping Basement Magnetization Zones from Aeromagnetic Data in the San Juan Basin. Editor: Hinze WJ. The Utility of Regional Gravity and Magnetic Anomaly Maps (pp. 181-197), Society of Exploration Geophysicists, 1985.
  31. [31] Gabor D. “Theory of communication”, Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Part III, Radio Communication Engineers, 93, 429-441, 1946.
  32. [32] Nabighian MN. “The Analytic Signal of two dimensional magnetic bodies with polygonal cross section: Its properties and use for automated anomaly interpretation”. Geophysics, 37(3), 507-517, 1972.
  33. [33] Roest WR, Verhoef J, Pilkington M. “Magnetic interpretation using the 3-D analytic signal”. Geophysics 57(1), 116-125, 1992.
  34. [34] Seequent, “3x3 Convolution”. https://help.seequent.com/Oasismontaj/2023.2/Content/gxhelp/g/gridfilt_gx.htm (05.11.2024).
  35. [35] Rivero L, Pinto V, Casas A. “Moho depth structure of the eastern part of the Pyrenean belt derived from gravity data”. Journal of Geodynamics 33(3), 315-332, 2002.
  36. [36] Gomez-Ortiz D, Agarwal BNP. “3DINVER.M: A MATLAB program to invert the gravity anomaly over a 3-D horizontal density interface by Parker-Oldenburg’s algorithm”. Computer & Geoscience, 31(4), 513-520, 2005.
  37. [37] Dean WC. “Frequency analysis for gravity and magnetic interpretation”. Geophysics 23(1), 97-127, 1958.
  38. [38] Neidell NS. “A geophysical application of spectral analysis.”. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series C: Applied Statistics, 14(1), 75-88, 1965.
  39. [39] Gudmundsson G. “Interpretation of one-dimensional magnetic anomalies by use of Fourier Transform”. Geophysical Journal International, 12(1), 87-97, 1966.
  40. [40] Bhattacharyya BK. “Continuous spectrum of total magnetic field anomaly due to a rectangular prismatic body”. Geophysics, 31(1), 97-121, 1966.
  41. [41] Pal PC, Khurana KK, Unnikrishna P. “Two examples of spectral approach to source depth estimation in gravity and magnetics”. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 117, 772-783, 1979.
  42. [42] Maden N, Doğru F. “Hydrocarbon migration and structural reservoir traps in the Western Black Sea Basin: evidence from satellite-derived gravity tensor data”. Marine Geophysical Research, 45(2), 1-14, 2024.
  43. [43] Demir D. “Trakya Havzası’nın Potansiyel Alan ve Sismik Veri Kullanılarak İncelenmesi ve Modellenmesi”, Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Sivas, Türkiye, 2011.
  44. [44] Georgiev G. “Geology and hydrocarbon systems in the Western Black Sea”. Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences 21(5), 723-754. 2012.
  45. [45] Jatiault R, Henry P, Loncke L, Sadaoui M, Sakellariou D. “Natural oil seep systems in the Aegean Sea”. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 163, 106754, 2024.
  46. [46] Özyalın Ş, Kaftan İ. “Gravite verilerinin sınır analizi yöntemleriyle değerlendirilmesi; Eskişehir örneği”. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 23(6), 804-808, 2017.
  47. [47] Yüksel FA, Aydoğan D. “Bouguer anomalilerinden üstü örtülü fayların saptanması ve İstanbul-Silivri bölgesinin yeraltı yapısının modellenmesi”. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(3), 389-393, 2001.
  48. [48] Jenkins J, Stephenson SN, Martínez-Garzón P, Bohnhoff M, Nurlu M. “Crustal thickness variation across the Sea of Marmara region, NW Turkey: a reflection of modern and ancient tectonic processes”. Tectonics, 39(7), e2019TC005986, 2020.
  49. [49] Bayrak M, Gürer A, Gürer ÖF. “Electromagnetic Imaging of the Thrace Basin and Intra-Pontide Subduction Zone, Northwestern Turkey”. International Geology Review, 46(1), 64-74. 2004.
  50. [50] Poyraz SA. "Crustal thicknesses on Thrace Basin via receiver function”. Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences, 16(4), 100739, 2023.