Advanced luminescence dating of the Karapurcek formation reveals middle pleistocene tectonic reorganization of the North Anatolian Fault Zone.

ABSTRACT: This study establishes the first numerical age constraints for the Karapürçek Formation in northwestern Anatolia, Türkiye, using thermally assisted optically stimulated luminescence (TA-OSL) dating. This formation represents the sedimentary fill of a former pull-apart basin and thus records a critical phase in the evolution of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). Four luminescence samples from a 200-meter-thick section yielded ages ranging from ~ 724 ka to ~ 540 ka, constraining deposition of the formation's upper sections to the Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian Stage). The reliability of these Middle Pleistocene ages is underpinned by a detailed signal analysis. This analysis confirms the TA-OSL signal is highly reproducible and exhibits a strong dosimetric response, validating the techniq

SUBMITTER: Sahiner E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12749082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature