Interpretation of gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies of the Konya Region, South Central Turkey

Abstract

Some 100 km southwest of Tuz Lake in central Turkey there are strong gravity and magnetic anomalies oriented in a NW-SE direction. The surface geology does not suggest a cause for the anomalies although there are some small exposures of mafic and ultramafic rocks. The gravity and aeromagnetic anomaly fields are separated into regional and residual anomalies by graphical and planar trend removal, respectively. Three-dimensional models of residual gravity and magnetic anomalies are constructed using an iterative method and depths controlled by power spectrum analysis. A density contrast of 0.5g/cm3 is used with the gravity model. Pseudodensity contrast ranges of 0.2-0.5g/cm3 are used with the magnetic models. The models constructed suggest that different bodies cause the gravity and magnetic anomalies and their bases extend no deeper than the middle of the upper crust. It is suggested that magma was injected into the upper crust at two different stages from the same location. The second stage probably commenced with the formation of high magnetite content igneous rocks when the African plate was closer to the Anatolian plate.