Archaeological evidence for unusually rapid holocene uplift rates in an active normal faulting terrain: Roman Harbor of Aigeira, Gulf of Corinth, Greece

Geomorphic and biological indicators of paleoseismicity and Holocene uplift rate at a coastal normal fault footwall (western Corinth Gulf, Greece)

“…Geomorphological, biological, and sedimentological indicators of Holocene coastal uplift, although locally abundant, are in general rare and Holocene coastal uplift rates are generally not well constrained (Stiros, 1998). Fig.…”

A Holocene coral–algal reef at Mavra Litharia, Gulf of Corinth, Greece: structure, history, and applications in relative sea-level change

“…10,000 years BP) at 5.5 m above the Rio sill (15.5 m of sea-level rise less 10 m of water depth), which requires an uplift rate of 6.8 mm/year to raise the reef from 5.5 m to its present height of 68.3 m (=59+9.3) above the Rio sill. This rate is more than double the maximum rate calculated by Stiros (1998) and Stiros and Pirazzoli (1998), and cannot be correct. Large coseismic uplift jumps, which have been applied to coastlines in Rhodes and Crete (Pirazzoli et al, 1989), cannot contribute to such a high uplift rate because of ecological depth constraint in Mavra Litharia reef; large movements would have interrupted reef growth, but coseismic uplift at the end of reef growth may have been responsible for partial emergence and dissolution.…”

“…In contrast to results obtained from biological markers, uplift of 3.90F0.1 m since AD 150-250 (=1800-1700 years BP) has been identified for the Roman harbour of Aigeira, based on known construction methods of Roman harbours, giving an overall relative uplift of ca. 3 mm/year (Stiros, 1998). Because this uplift has occurred since Roman times, with very little sea-level rise, then 3 mm/year is effectively an absolute uplift rate for that period.…”

“…At Mavra Litharia, recent uplift at the site is arguably coseismic, based on well-preserved shell remains (Papageorgiou et al, 1993) and the archaeological record (Stiros, 1998). West of Mavra Litharia, active vertical movement along the Eliki Fault is an established feature of the geology and landscape (Soter, 1998;Stewart, 1996;Stewart and Vita-Finzi, 1996).…”

“…Because the preserved part of the reef shows no zonation of biota, it never grew into shallow water. The relative uplift rate of 3 mm/year (derived from Stiros, 1998) since Roman times may be an absolute uplift rate because sea level has not risen much in that time, and sea level has risen by only 1.5-3.0 m since 5000-6000 years BP (see earlier). Applying the 3 mm/year rate in reverse, the height of the top of the reef (its oldest parts; see Table 1) at 10,000 years BP below its present position is 30 m, equaling 20.7 m below modern sea level, and is broadly consistent with its growth in ca.…”