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Hydrogeological and geochemical assessments of the Gediz Graben geothermal areas, western Anatolia, Turkey

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Gediz Graben is an important area for geothermal activity in Turkey. Menderes Massif rocks consisting of gneisses, schists, marbles and granodiorite, comprise the aquifers of the geothermal systems. Neogene terrestrial sediments made up mainly of sandy and clayey conglomerates cap the systems. Gediz Graben geothermal areas are physically divided into seven main groups: Turgutlu-Urganlı, Sart-Çamur, Caferbeyli, Üfürük, Kurşunlu, Kavaklıdere-Sazdere and Alaşehir geothermal areas. The third highest aquifer in Turkey temperature (182 °C) after Kızıldere (242 °C) and Germencik (232 °C) was discovered in the Kavaklıdere-Sazdere area. The thermomineral waters of the Gediz Graben geothermal areas have outlet temperatures of 25–95 °C and an electrical conductivity of 874–6020 μS/cm. Mineralization is mostly dominated by Na+ (188–2027 ppm) and HCO3− (544–2950 ppm). Kavaklıdere-Sazdere area shows the highest boron content among the entire geothermal aquifers of Turkey. Major geochemical processes for thermomineral waters are carbonate and silicate dissolution and mixing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the partial financial supports of TÜBİTAK Research Fund (Project no. YDABAG 102Y039). Critical reviews by an anonymous reviewer in an earlier version of this manuscript are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geological Engineering Department, Dokuz Eylül University, Bornova-İzmir, Turkey

    Gültekin Tarcan & Ünsal Gemici

  2. Dokuz Eylül University, Torbalı Vocational School, Torbalı-İzmir, Turkey

    Niyazi Aksoy

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  1. Gültekin Tarcan
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  2. Ünsal Gemici
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  3. Niyazi Aksoy
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Correspondence to Gültekin Tarcan.

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Tarcan, G., Gemici, Ü. & Aksoy, N. Hydrogeological and geochemical assessments of the Gediz Graben geothermal areas, western Anatolia, Turkey. Environ Geol 47, 523–534 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1174-1

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