The role of mineralogical studies in delineating the recharge area and groundwater circulation of Susuz springs, Central Taurus Belt, Turkey

Concentrated recharge is a unique characteristic of karst aquifers which results in a great amount of suspended matter being transported through the karst system. Investigation of the suspended substances gives information about the potential recharge area and water circulation in the aquifer system. To delineate the recharge area and groundwater circulation of the semiarid karst system associated with Susuz springs, Seydisehir, Turkey, the mineralogical compositions and textural properties of bedrock, spring sediment, and suspended particles were investigated, from coarser to finer scale by (1) petrographic thin sections, (2) X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and (3) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis methods. The findings from the petrographic thin section, XRD, and SEM analyses indicate that Susuz spring sediments include Eocene-aged planktonic foraminiferal fossils and smectite minerals, which were the main characteristics of the cobanagaci Formation. The mineralogical studies found that ophiolite fragments from the Dipsiz Gol units were observed at the karst springs. The recharge area of the Susuz springs was delineated by overlapping the cobanagaci Formation and Dipsiz Gol ophiolites over the isotope-derived recharge elevation map. Whisker calcite crystals and coccolith formation on the suspended particles reveal the dominance of caves and conduits inside the karst aquifer system.