Latest Pliocene-Quaternary uplift of the central Tauride and Evolutionary history of the Kızıllar Canyon, southern central Anatolia-Türkiye

The study area is located near the apex of the north-facing and V-shaped Konya-Niğde Graben. Its south-southeast margin is defined and controlled by the NE-trending Karaman-Niğde Fault Zone. It also forms the geographic boundary between the central Tauride in the south and central Anatolia in the north. This study aimed to determine the Latest Pliocene–Quaternary uplift rate of the central Tauride and the evolutionary history of the Kızıllar Canyon located on the uplifting southern footwall block of the Karaman Niğde Fault Zone. Both the geological and geomorphological field data, which were obtained within the framework of this study, revealed the following: (1) the Kızıllar River drainage system developed as a result of several capture events; (2) Lithological and hydrological characteristics of the valley reveal the reason for the lack of gradation in the river's longitudinal profile; (3) the Kızıllar Canyon reflects the incision process of the Kızıllar River; (4) the Kızıllar River cut vertically into its bed up to 230 m, which corresponds to the minimum Latest Pliocene–Quaternary uplift rate of the central Tauride (~0.06 mm/yr); and (5) the Kızıllar Canyon developed as a natural response of the river to the uplift of the Konya-Niğde Fault Zone footwall block.