The evolution of “fairy chimneys” in Goreme valley (Cappadocia, Turkey): new geomorphological and stratigraphic assessments

The fairy chimneys located in Goreme’s valley and included in the UNESCO Heritage represent one of the most characteristic landscapes of the Cappadocian area (Turkey). The study of geomorphological evolution and stratigraphic context of these struc- tures is fundamental for the conservation of the rupestrian human settlements carved inside. The chimneys are mesoforms related to surface erosion processes affecting the Urgup Formation, a sequence of about 400- m-thick ignimbrites intercalated with lavas and fluvio-lacustrine deposits outcropping in the Nevsehir Plateau, a large tabular structure within Central Anatolian Volcanic Province. In particular, Goreme’s valley extends for about 75 km2 on the left side of the Kizilirmak river that produces the main valley incision in the plateau