Sea level change and vertical land movements since the last two millennia along the coasts of southwestern Turkey and Israel (original) (raw)
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The coastal belt of HatayeSamanda g in the East Mediterranean is marked by the intersection of the AfricaneArabian and Eurasian (Anatolian platelet) plates, where several Quaternary shorelines related to relative sea-level changes can be seen above the current sea level. In this study, the most common and best preserved high sea-level markers of the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 3 shorelines were dated for the first time using the mollusc-based electron spin resonance (ESR) method. As a result of this research, the age of the late MIS 5 and MIS 3 sea-level highstands in the Eastern Mediterranean, the elevation of the corresponding shoreline at Samanda g coast, and the vertical component of the late Quaternary tectonic movements, which has an impact on shoreline, were determined. The shorelines at 48e43 m elevations between Çevlik and Samanda g, at 58.6 m in Tekebaşı and at 21 m at Kelda g have been dated to approximately 72 ka and, therefore, are correlated with MIS 5a. The shoreline at 40e39 m elevations between Çevlik and Samanda g has been dated to approximately 53 ka and, therefore, is correlated with MIS 3. According to the position of the MIS 5a shorelines, the uplift rate over the last 72 ka was 0.88 mm/y between Çevlik and Samanda g, 1.08 mm/y in Tekebaşı, and 0.56 mm/y in Kelda g, yielding a 0.84 mm/y average. This rather fast uplift appears to be related to the vertical component of the strike-slip active faults in the Samanda geAntakya Fault Zone.
Quaternary International , 2019
Sea level variability affected by sea water mass is strongly associated with global, regional and local climate. In this context, the eastern Mediterranean Sea has been intensively investigated in recent decades because of its sensitivity to climatic and environmental variables, due to the influence of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT). The sea level in Israel during the Crusader period (12th-13th centuries CE) was found to be −0.5 ± 0.20 m relative to the present mean sea level (MSL). The difference between the Crusader sea level and the present-day MSL raises some questions which bring us to the aim of this study: estimating the timeline of the changes in sea level elevation in the eastern Mediterranean over the last two centuries. Archaeological evidence from areas of low tidal range, such as the Mediterranean Sea, can provide significant information on sea level changes for times when instrumental measurements where not yet available (e.g., before 1955 in Israel). The method employed in this study integrates two dimensions: The vertical-estimating the changes in sea levels relative to the present MSL, based on archaeological evidence; and the horizontal-determining the coastline changes, based on coastal architectural and geomorphological structures appearing in historical maps. Both the structural and the cartographic evidence for sea level changes date to the 19th Century, and indicate a rise of 0.36 m over the last two centuries. Findings attesting to horizontal changes, indicate a gradual migration of the coastline landward, to the east since 1863 and a rapid change in the coastal geomorphology at the beginning of the 20th century. The sea level increase from the 19th century might be, in part, a consequence of regional trends and, in part, a result of a gap between method accuracy (archaeology and modern measurements). Nevertheless, the drastic change in the geomorphology of the coastline may indicate an extreme meteorological event, such as a storm at sea, accompanied by a local rise of sea level, but further research is required to verify this.
Comment on "MIS 5a and MIS 3 relatively high sea-level stands on the Hatay-Samandağı coast, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey". U. Doğan, A. Koçyiğit, B. Varol, İ. Özer, A. Molodkov, E. Zöhra. Quaternary International (2012), 2012
anzidei et al. Israel&Turkey_QI_2011.pdf
This paper provides new relative sea level data inferred from coastal archaeological sites located along the Turkish coasts of the Gulf of Fethye (8 sites), and Israel, between Akziv and Caesarea (5 sites). The structures selected are those that, for effective functioning, can be accurately related to sea level at the time of their construction. Thus their positions with respect to present sea level provide a measure of the relative sea level change since their time of construction. Useful information was obtained from the investigated sites spanning an age range ofe2.3ee 1.6 ka BP. The inferred changes in relative sea level for the two areas are distinctly different, from a rise of 2.41 to 4.50 m in Turkey and from 0 to 0.18 m in Israel. Sea level change is the combination of several processes, including vertical tectonics, glacioehydro-isostatic signals associated with the last glacial cycle, and changes in ocean volume. For the Israel section, the present elevations of the MIS-5.5 Tyrrhenian terraces occur at a few meters above present sea level and vertical tectonic displacements are small. Data from GPS and tide gauge measurements also indicate that any recent vertical movements are small. The MIS-5.5 shorelines are absent from the investigated section of the Turkish coast, consistent with crustal subsidence associated with the Hellenic Arc. The isostatic signals for the Israel section of the coast are also small (ranging from À0.11 mm/yr to 0.14 mm/yr, depending on site and earth model) and the observed (eustatic) average sea level change, corrected for this contribution, is a rise of 13.5 AE 2.6 cm during the past e2 ka. This is attributed to the time-integrated contribution to sea level from a combination of thermal expansion and other increases in ocean volume. The observed sea levels from the Turkish sites, in contrast, indicate a much greater rise of up to 2.2 mm/yr since 2.3 ka BP occurring in a wide area between Knidos and Kekova. The isostatic signal here is also one of a rising sea level (of up toe1 mm/yr and site and earthmodel dependent) and the corrected tectonic rate of land subsidence ise1.48 mm/yr. This is the primary cause of dramatic relative sea level rise for this part of the coast.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2001
Local sea-level curves re¯ect global eustatic changes, regional isostatic adjustments of the crust to changing ice and ocean volumes and tectonically controlled crustal movements. In this study, we evaluate the relative contribution of each of these factors to the Holocene sea-level curve of the Mediterranean coast of Israel. We use archaeological data as constraints on palaeo sea levels and we then compare the observational limits with isostatic models for sea-level change across the region. The isostatic model includes the contribution arising from the relative minor increase in ocean volumes for the past 6000 years due to residual melting of ice sheets, the effect of the changing shape of the ocean basin, the time dependence of shorelines as sealevel changes and the changing surface area occupied by ice sheets. Differences, if signi®cant, between the observed and predicted change are interpreted as being of tectonic origin. The archaeological observations and the model sea-level curve, along the Mediterranean coast of Israel were found to be generally consistent and any discrepancies lie within the uncertainties of both values. Our model predicted that 8000 years ago sea level at the Israel coast was at about 213.5^2 m, whereas the archaeological data place it at 216.5^1 m. By 7000 BP the predicted level has risen to about 27^1 m consistent with the archaeological evidences. According to both observations and predictions sea level was still lower than 23 to 24.5 m at 6000 BP and remained below its present level until about 3000±2000 BP. The comparison between the model sea-level curve and the archaeological observations also enable to conclude that the average rate of vertical tectonic movement for the last 8000 years, at the Carmel coast, Israel, has been less than 0.2 mm/year. q
The data obtained from landsat imagery, airphotos, geological and geophysical records show that there are three distinctive lineaments in the vicinity of Trabzon, trending northeast-southwest (NE-SW), northwest-southeast (NW-SE) and east-west (E-W), anologous to North Anatolian Fault (NAF) and Northeast Anatolian Fault (NEAF) systems. According to current seismic data, the faults, which have three distinctive directions, show active properties. As a result of these Boztepe, Erdogdu, Fatih (NE-SW directions), Yenimahalle and Faroz faults (NW-SW directions), forming the Trabzon Fault Zone, cut and raised the Quaternary marine terraces to the surface. In order to be able to reveal the motion rates and activity of these faults, field surveying, geomorphological studying, airphoto interpretation and geochronological measurements of seven different marine terraces on the Trabzon coast of the southeastern part of Black Sea was carried out. According to available data, the Holocene and Plei...