Geology And History Of Turkey

This book comprehensively reviews the historical background of speleology and cave research in the contexts of archeology and natural sciences. It also offers a summary of selected topics related to the karstic terrain of Turkey. Covering 40 % of the country's surface area, Turkey's karstic terrain accommodates thousands of caves. However, understanding the geology, geomorphology, hydrology, biology, and ecosystem dynamics of these caves is still limited. Despite numerous explorations and extensive fieldwork, this is the first comprehensive publication on the topic since 1984. The book presents the 45 most significant caves in Turkey, selected according to several criteria, including esthetical uniqueness. It covers caves of global archeological importance, such as Karain, Yarımburgaz and Üçagızlı, and some of the world's deepest caves, such as Peynirlikönü, Kuzgun, Morca, and Çukurpınar. The book includes a survey and a detailed description of the genesis, geology, geomorphology, and exploration history for each cave.

The Sinap Formation in central Turkey near the city of Ankara preserves a rich record of mammalian evolution from about 15 to 5 million years ago and is one of the few sites in this region that also has fossil apes. It is unique among other fossil localities from Europe to Western Asia in that it has a thick stratigraphic section and preserves a long record of geological time. The authors have been able to piece together a detailed record of faunal change and, by adding paleomagnetic and radiometric dating techniques, have produced a chronostratigraphy for the Formation. Because of the dual importance of the rich record of the fossils, and the dating of the sediments, the editors have been able to attract some of the leading authorities on Eurasian Neogene paleontology and geology to contribute to this reference work. The results from the Sinap Formation will be the template against which other sites from Europe to Asia are compared.

This book on Turkish geomorphology offers location descriptions, based on their dynamics and evolution processes, including hydrology, tectonics, volcanism, slopes, coasts, ice/snow, and wind. It presents landforms as a result of evolution (Quaternary, Holocene, historic) and in relation to the elements determining and/or impacting this evolution (vegetation, soil, hydrology, geology, climate, sea level and human action) as well as the resulting landscapes. Richly illustrated with pictures from each site, including geomorphological maps and sections, it explains the risks associated with the geomorphological dynamics (on local and global scales), natural and/or cultural heritage (archaeology, prehistory, history, architectural specifications adapted to the landscape), as well as challenges for human society (endangered landscape, protection/conservation rules/statutes, posters/paintings.).