The Gulf of Corinth, Greece occupies a young continental rift in a forearc setting where~ flank rift uplift has raised fossil shorelines, creating flights of marine terraces. These palaeoshorelines are used as reference markers from which uplift amount is quantified, and associated marine fossils are dated to establish a chronology. These results are analysed to test the proposed mechanism ofuplift in published models ofthe ofthe study region. Minor faults probably network the region with throws of>1 m to <30 m; although not significant in terms of crustal-scale tectonic processes, identification ofthese faults is necessary to prevent erroneous calculations of widespread crustal scale uplift from locally displaced fossil shorelines. The activity status of major faults is examined directly and by drainage analysis and revisions suggested for published work on the activity status ofthe major basin bounding faults; the on-shore Lower Loutraki and Kenchriae faults are inactive whereas the Upper Loutraki and off-shore Heraion are active and contributing up to -1 mm yr-l extension across the Lechaion Gulf. The average uplift rates of shorelines is 0.31 mm yr-l since at least MIS 9 (-340 ka), supporting the model of spatially uniform uplift, but the averaged rate smoothes temporarily variable uplift of 0.0 to 0.49 mm yr-l. There is no apparent correlation between temporal uplift rates and variation in crustal loading from eustatic sea level change and a lithospheric / mantle control on uplift rate is suggested. The basin inversion prior to -400ka suggests a significant change in the kinematics of the Lechaion Gulf at this time. The Perachora peninsula Holocene palaeoshoreline features includes marine notches fronted with level platforms and preservation of delicate shells, interpreted as evidence that uplift is by pulsed events.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:490610 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Turner, Jenni |
| Publisher | University of East Anglia |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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