Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy, Microfacies Analysis and Depositional Environments of Upper Triassic Carbonates of Bitlis Massif, Palu (Elaz？？)

In this study, it is aimed to reveal the foraminiferal content and microfacies properties of the the Upper Triassic carbonates, cover units of the Bitlis massif exposed in the vicinity of the ？akmakkaya village (Palu, Elaz？？). Stratigraphically significant foraminiferal species characterizing Triassic have been recorded throughout the measured section. Triasina hantkeni, the most common taxa documented in the studied sequence, is considered as a zonal marker for Late Triassic. Besides the zonal marker species, the section includes Aulotortus sinuosus, Aulotortus friedli, Involutina sp., Galeanella? sp., Duostomina sp., Glomospira sp., Glomospirella sp., Duotaxis birmanica, Siphovalvulina sp., and Reophax sp. foraminiferal assemblages. On the basis of the determined foraminiferal taxa, Triasina hantkeni zone is defined within the studied succession and a late Norian-Rhaetian age is attributed. In addition to foraminiferal assemblages, megalodontids, algae, gastrapods and corals are also present within the limestone units. Three facies types, mudstone, wackestone-packstone, pelloidal bioclastic packstone-grainstone, were described based on microfacies studies to determine the depositional environments of the Upper Triassic carbonates exposed in the region. The described microfacies types suggest that the depositional environment was a lagoon and shallow marine platform environments