A hidden caldera revealed from magnetotelluric data in Cappadocia region of central Turkey

Abstract

Summary A magnetotelluric survey has been conducted in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey in order to find new geothermal resources. The survey area has formerly been postulated as the location of a buried caldera that was one of the main eruptive centres of Cappadocian Volcanic Province. Three-dimensional non-linear conjugate gradient inversion of magnetotelluric data by using the full impedance tensor helps to delineate the subsurface resistivity distribution. The derived resistivity model reveals the possibility of a buried caldera. The low resistivity anomalies are interpreted as the clay alteration zones caused by hydrothermal activities.