Tectonic evolution of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex: Insights from using magnetic and gravity data

This study investigates the inherited crustal architecture and concealed tectonic boundaries of the Kırşehir Massif, a key component of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC), using satellite-derived potential field datasets. Earth Magnetic Anomaly Grid 2 (EMAG2) magnetic anomalies and World Gravity Map 2012 (WGM2012) Bouguer gravity data were analyzed together with multiple edge-detection filters, including Total Horizontal Gradient (THG), Tilt Angle (TA), Theta Map (TM), and Tilt Angle of Horizontal Derivative Amplitude (TAHG), to enhance structural boundaries and identify subsurface discontinuities prior to geological interpretation. The enhanced magnetic and gravity fields reveal two principal lineament sets trending NW-SE and NE-SW, which coincide with major lithological contacts, fault zones, and the boundaries of the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone (IAESZ) and Inner Tauride Suture Zone (ITSZ). Quantitative lineament classification based on azimuth and length statistics further confirms three dominant structural orientations (NW-SE, NE-SW, and E-W), reflecting both inherited suture-related structures and younger transtensional deformation. By integrating filtered anomaly gradients with regional geological constraints, this study provides the most detailed potential-field-based structural model of the Kırşehir Block to date and offers new insights into crustal inheritance, lithospheric segmentation, and the multi-phase tectonic evolution of Central Anatolia.