Using beachrocks to reconstruct Holocene palaeoshorelines in the Central Cyclades.

Citation:

Karkani A, Evelpidou N, Vacchi M, Morhange C, Tsukamoto S, Frechen M. Using beachrocks to reconstruct Holocene palaeoshorelines in the Central Cyclades. In: International Colloquium 'The Mediterranean Islands". Cargese, France; 2015.

Date Presented:

30/6-2/7

Abstract:

Different types of sea level indicators, (e.g. geomorphological, biological and archaeological) have been used in the Eastern Mediterranean in order to assess Late Quaternary coastal evolution and relative sea level (RSL) changes. Among them, beachrocks have often been used to assess Holocene shoreline evolution and tectonically induced RSL changes in the Aegean sea. Open debate about the cementation environment and the accuracy of beachrocks as sea level indicators is still present in literature: However, in several recent studies beachrocks have been proven useful in the absence of other sea level indicators or when coupled with other available sea level indicators. In particular, the combined analysis of erosional (e.g. tidal notches) and depositional sea level indicators has great significance given the fact that erosional indicators, although more precise for RSL studies, rarely preserve dateable materials, which are more frequent in depositional landforms. In this context, we carried out a detailed mapping of beachrocks in Paros and Naxos islands (Cyclades, Central Aegean Sea). In most sites, multiple generations of beachrocks were identified, at depths varying between the present mean sea level and -6.3 m. Beachrock slabs were also sampled and thin sections were carried out for petrographic and microstratigraphic analyses, aiming to characterize the constituents, the presence of bioclasts as well as the type of the cements. In order to provide an age estimate for sea level changes in the study area during the late Holocene, beachrock samples were dated using the Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) method. The study focused on both quartz and feldspar. The first OSL age estimates are presented in this study. In the last 15 years, a number of geomorphological and geoarchaeological investigations were carried out to assess the relative sea level changes in this area. Therefore, we correlated beachrocks with previously published data such as submerged tidal notches, cores on coastal lagoons and submerged archaeological remains. Here we present the results of this multiproxy study. Our results allowed both to identify the Holocene palaeoshorelines and to place a chronological framework to the sea level changes in the broad area of central Cyclades.