Abstract
Harhor formation (Late Middle Eocene) outcrops in a small syncline, situated to the north of the Haymana Anticline. The formation overlies the Çayraz formation (with abundant nummilites and assylinas) with a thin conglomerate and consists of alternations of thick (50-200 cm.) sandstones and thin mudstone bands. Total visible thickness of the formation is 255 m. The upper part, forming the centre of the syncline, is eroded. These calcareous sandstones contain approximately 20 % muddy matrix and consist of volcanic rock fragments (more than 50 % by volume), metamorphic schist, granite, limestone and chert fragments, as well as angular quartz, orthoclase and abundant calcic piagioclase. Thus, the rock may be named as a litharenite, or even a volcanic - arenite. Heavy minerals consist of mainly glaucophane, garnet, apatite, zircon and tourmaline, in addition to abundant opaque iron minerals and a few others. The first three minerals show a good correlation in their «abundance» (Norman, 1969) within the rocks.
Sediments of Harhor formation are probably derived from various complex sources : basic volcanic, metamorphic, sedimentary and acid intrusive areas. In technically active geologic conditions, they were first accumulated in relatively shallow marine waters (neritic environment) where from time to time, they formed submarine slumps, turning into turbidity currents. These currents resedimented the materials as turbidites in the deeper parts of the basins. The increase or decrease of abundance of various heavy mineral groups at different stratigraphic levels may be explained by differential uplift in the source areas and/or widespread climatic changes which affected the rate of erosion.