Geochemical Features and Study of the Industrial Raw Materials Usability of the Euphrates River Bank Sediments Between Palu and Keban Dam Lake

Abstract

Chemical composition of the Firat River bank sediments which are located between Palu and Keban Dam Lake show that the Firat River's sediments can be named as sub-litharenite and felspar litharenite. In terms of the major oxide contents in the Holocene Euphrates River sediments, the concentrations of Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, and TiO2 are higher than UCC (Upper Continental Crust), and SiO2, Al2O3, Na2O, and P2O5 concentrations are depleted. Pb isotope composition ratios of the studied sediment samples show that the natural weathering of the local lithologic unites is to be more effective on the river sediment chemistry than anthropogenic effects. Especially, at the P2, P4, P13, P17, P30, P43, P44, P46 and P49 sample locations are determined that the river sediments are mostly between natural lead values which come from the mafic volcano-sedimentary rocks due to Pb-206/Pb-207 (1.205 - 1.22) ratio. The units have characterization of Plio-Quaternary Palu Formation, Upper Miocene Caybagi Formation, and Upper Cretaceous Elazig Magmatic rocks. Physico-mechanical experiments show that the sediments of the Firat River have 2.6 gr/cm(3) specific weight and sediments' optimum bitumen is 4.6 % and their mixture type stability value is 2300 kg. The physical-mechanical features of the sediments at the sample sites from P39 to P50 in the western East Anatolian Fault Zone show that clay size fractions are higher than the updown river sediment samples which are taken from P1 to P38 in the eastern fault zone. The obtained results indicate that the river sediment samples from P1 to P39 at the west of East Anatolian Fault Zone are suitable for both raw material for cement or aggregate and bituminous hot mixture production as raw materials in the construction industry interms of stability and fluxing.