Pamukkale“castle-Turkey

 

Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site and attraction in southwest Turkey in the province of Denizli. Pamukkale is located in the interior of Turkey in the Aegean region, in the Menderes valley, which enjoys a temperate climate most of the year.The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white “castle”, which in total is 2,700 meters long and 160 m in height. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the city of Denizli, 20 km away.
 The tectonic movements that took place in the fault depression of the Menderes river basin triggered frequent earthquakes, and gave rise to a number of very hot springs. The water of these springs, with its large mineral content, chalk in particular created Pamukkale. Apart from some radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of bicarbonate and calcium, which leads to precipitation of calcium bi-carbonate.
Every second 250 liters of hot water emerges from this spring, precipitating 2.20 grams of lime per liter of chalk or 0.55 kilograms per second. Over time, some sources dried up because of earthquakes, while new ones emerged in the area.
The effect of this natural phenomenon has left thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope resembling a frozen waterfall. One type of these formations is travertine terraces formed by crescent-shaped with a surface layer of water, lying in a staggered arrangement of the upper third of the slope, with steps ranging from 1 million to 6 feet high. The other way is to stalactites, propping up and connecting these terraces.
The oldest of these rocks is crystalline marble, quartzite and schist. These date back to the Pliocene period, while the upper layer belongs to the Quaternary. new deposits of calcium carbonate give the site a dazzling white appearance.