To date, in Türkiye only a limited number and volume of combined geophysical and geological
studies about karst have been performed. In this study, karstification and geomorphological
features were examined with geophysical and geological methods together and initial
results were obtained for Türkiye. Although the geology of the limestone forming the
Şahinkaya Member, which contains Çayırbağı, Çalköy, and Çal Cave, near the Düzköy
district of Trabzon/Türkiye province was studied by many researchers to date, there
is no geophysical study to determine the internal structural features, groundwater,
dolines, and karstic voids. The aim of this study was to identify karst formations
and their structural extensions in Şahinkaya Member with geophysical methods. Therefore,
three different study locations with a total surface area of approximately 3.2 km
2 were examined with electrical resistivity tomography, self-potential, seismic refraction
tomography, multichannel analysis of surface waves, and ground penetrating radar.
These geophysical applications in limestone helped to identify karst cavities, water-saturated
zones and dolines. Finally, the order of priority and efficiency of the five applied
geophysical methods was compared, and the stages of the applications were outlined.
In addition, the origin of karstification in the area investigated in this study was
supported by petrographic, petrophysical and rock mechanic data.
