Dynamics of The Tuzla Sub-Marine Landslide and Potential Landslide Source Areas in The Northern Slope and Shelf of The Çınarcık Basin (Marmara Sea, Turkey)

65TH Geological Congress of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey, 2 - 06 April 2012, pp.176-177, (Summary Text)

In this study, seismic and multi-beam bathymetric data from the northern shelf and slope of

the Cinarcik Basin, which is generated by the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) located

in the easternmost basin in the Marmara Sea, were re-interpreted to better understand

the future sub-marine landslide occurances. Seismic data interpretation reveal that upper

surface of the sub-marine extension of the Paleozoic rocks has an NNE–SSW oriented basin

and a ridge type morphology controlled by the secondary faults of the NAFZ. Basins are

fulfilled by Plio-Quaternary sediments, which are cut by strike-slip faults on the shelf and

slope. The thickness of basin deposits reaches up to 130 m toward the linear northern slope

of the Cinarcik Basin and in this section a relatively recent sub-marine landslide, the Tuzla

Landslide, cuts the slope of the basin. The detailed morphological investigation indicates

that the Tuzla Landslide is a deep-seated rotational landslide, which was likely triggered by

activity of the NAFZ. Morphological analyses also indicate that the thick Plio-Quaternary

deposits on the Paleozoic basement dispalced during the Tuzla Landslide event. This landslide

is considered as a key event to understand the dynamics of the potential landslides on the

northern shelf and slope of the Cinarcik Basin. Two areas locating on the eastern and the

western sides of the Tuzla Landslide are considered as the potential areas for future sliding

due to similarities of geological and geomorphological features with the Tuzla Landslide

such as similar thick Plio-Quaternary deposits, similar slope morphology, and similar fault

activity cutting the sediments.