Professor Dr. Nurgül Balcı, who prepared Lake Salda's nomination file for the World Geological Congress, stated that the lake's inclusion in the list due to its resemblance to Mars will attract even more attention from scientists.
Balcı emphasized that for a location to be defined as geological heritage, it must possess visual value that can represent a geological event and stand out from other geological features. She stated, "Lake Salda met this criterion. The second criterion is having a scientific geological knowledge base regarding its significance. My most important contribution was to present this scientific data."
Balcı, who also leads the ITU Geomicrobiology-Biogeochemistry Research Group, expressed that through thesis studies, scientific articles, and national and international scientific projects, they have demonstrated the global significance of Lake Salda.
Balcı explained that through their recent collaborations, particularly with the NASA team, they have established that the carbonates around the lake are significant not only visually but also geologically. She continued, "Scientific knowledge was an important criterion in this selection, and we provided that. We stated that 'Salda is one of the few places that bears a rare resemblance to the carbonates present in Jezero Crater on Mars.' We demonstrated that the traces here could provide clues for the search for life on planets in our solar system and on Mars. To make this claim, the projects conducted with scientific data need to be recognized in the international community. After the commission members reviewed these accepted studies, Salda was declared a geological heritage site."
Balcı drew attention to the fact that the carbonates around the lake are under human pressure, warning that Salda is an area that could easily be destroyed by the ongoing climate crisis.
Balcı emphasized the importance of protecting the lake, stating, "We tried to highlight this in our application. The Geological Heritage Commission evaluated this information and included Lake Salda in the list. The entire world has recognized that this is an area that needs protection. For those working on Mars, this will be a focal point. In this sense, I believe that scientific studies at the lake will accelerate. Other places from Türkiye that are candidates for the geological heritage list also need sufficient scientific research. Why wasn't Nemrut included? Because more work needs to be done on that and the international community needs to be convinced."
Balcı reported that their latest scientific article, titled "Mars-like Alkaline Lake," focusing on the hydromagnesite and the morphological and microbiological diversity of microbialites in Salda, has been published in an internationally prestigious journal. She noted that this is the first publication from Türkiye on this subject.
Balcı emphasized that the Lakes Region, which includes many important lakes such as Salda, Acı, and Yarışlı, has significant "geopark" potential. She added that if this potential is realized, it would make a substantial contribution to the region's tourism.
As part of a project initiated by the International Union of Geological Sciences and supported by UNESCO, Lake Salda in Burdur and the Nemrut Caldera in Bitlis were nominated from Türkiye for the list announced every two years.
At the 37th World Geological Congress held in August in Busan, South Korea, it was announced that Lake Salda from Türkiye was included in the "World's Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites."
