A dip in the famed Cleopatra's Pools offers a chance to swim among the remnants of columns that crumbled during the 7th century AD Laodikeia earthquake. In 1988, Hierapolis Pamukkale was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nestled in western Anatolia, Turkey, the world's largest travertine deposit is found where the Earth's crust is parting, causing volcanic, seismic and geothermal activities. The 6-kilometer-long Pamukkale Plateau, situated on the northern edge of the Denizli Basin, boasts an average rock thickness of 50 meters.
Visitors are treated to a breathtaking display of white calcite terraces and limestone pools, cascading over 200-meter-high cliffs along the Pamukkale Fault. Aptly named for its gleaming white rocks, Pamukkale translates to "cotton castle" or "cotton palace."
Spanning 12 square kilometers, the Pamukkale deposits are a sight to behold. The pools and springs boast water temperatures ranging from 19 to 57 degrees Celsius, with some reaching 100 degrees Celsius or more. Travertine forms when rainwater penetrates faults and fissures, heating up as it encounters magma deep underground.
This process causes the release of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals from the limestone rock. As the saturated solution resurfaces, the minerals precipitate upon contact with the air.
Travertine deposition has been occurring in the area for at least 600,000 years, since the Pleistocene epoch. However, most of the deposition in Pamukkale transpired within the last 50,000 years. Researchers believe that the current hydrothermal and depositional system was established after the 7th century Laodikeia earthquake.
Over time, the temperature regime has also evolved. Travertine calcite precipitates from higher-temperature springs, while more porous tuff deposits form at lower temperatures. Age dating and geochemical analysis of the deposits reveal that the water temperature has decreased since the Pleistocene epoch.
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