Quaternary Evolutionary Stages of Selinitsa Cave (SW Peloponnese, Greece) Reveal Sea-Level Changes Based on 3D Scanning, Geomorphological, Biological, and Sedimentological Indicators

Abstract

Significant evolutionary stages of Selinitsa Cave (SW Peloponnese, Greece) were revealed by 3D mapping, as well as geomorphological study of the cave and the nearby landscape. Four marine terraces were identified in the area of the coastal cave at 6, 10.7, 16.6, and 30–32 m above sea level (asl), with the terrace at 16.6 m representing Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. The widest karstified space of Selinitsa Cave clusters between 15.73 and 18.05 m above sea level (asl), with the peak lying at 16.4 m asl, corresponding to the level where the phreatic/epiphreatic zone was stable for a sufficient period of time. A tidal notch at 16.4 m asl at the cave entrance is correlated to the marine terrace at 16.6 m. Both features correspond to the sea-level stand at which intense karstification occurred. The tidal notch bears a horizontal arrangement of Lithophaga borings at the vertex. Sedimentological investigation of the Selinitsa fine-grained deposit revealed the paleohydrologic regime of the cave. It is characterized by “slack-water” facies, indicating very low water flow speeds, whereas the thickness of the deposit points to stable hydrological conditions for prolonged periods. The cave sediment height of 18.8 m asl indicates a flooding level higher than sea level. The overlying Plattenkalk flysch is most probably the major source of detritus, and the predominance of authigenic dolomite (>98% modal in the carbonate fraction) indicates a hyposaline environment related to mixing of sea water with percolating fresh water. The approach of this study shows the significance of 3D mapping, bio-geo-Relative Sea Level (RSL) indicators, and sedimentology in deciphering the paleogeographic evolution of coastal karstic systems and subsequently defining the paleoclimate regime of coastal areas in Greece and the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Quaternary.

Revision of TD1 and TD2 stratigraphic sequence of Gran Dolina cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

“…As discussed above, facies similar to facies A, B, and C1 have been described by other authors as deposits from hydric flows associated with phreatic conditions (Bull, 1981;Springer & Kite, 1997a, 1997bLauretano et al, 2016;Kampolis et al, 2022). These facies are indicators of a more or less constant hydric regime inside the cave, which can be related to hydric processes at a regional level (Hunt et al, 2010;Wagner et al, 2011).…”

“…Caves are natural traps that can preserve sediments and archaeological remains from outside erosion. Sedimentary infills have been well studied in many caves since the end of the XIX century until now (Arriolabengoa et al, 2015;Bonifay, 1956;Bull, 1981;Cooke, 1938;Farrand et al, 2001;Kadlec et al, 2008;Kampolis et al, 2022;Martini et al, 2021;Ossowski, 1882;Shaw, 1992, among others), providing data about the processes of formation and the relationship between the caves and their environment. Classification of cave deposits traditionally divides cave sedimentary facies into three main groups: allochthonous, autochthonous, and chemical deposits (Ford & Williams, 2007;White, 2007).…”

How to map potential mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) habitats? A case study in colluvial MSS

“…Subterranean habitats, "the most widespread non-marine environments on Earth" (Mammola et al 2019), are particularly difficult to map due to their challenging access for humans (Mammola et al 2019;Tanalgo et al 2022). Caves have been mapped throughout the world since the beginning of speleological studies (Martel 1894), evolving into digital mapping (Trimmis 2018;Jones 2022;Kampolis et al 2022), which include robots (Chang et al 2022;Tabib et al 2022) and remote sensing from space (Sharma and Srivastava 2022), using terrestrial lava tubes as models (Bell Jr. et al 2022). On the other hand, the network of spaces and voids that composes the majority of subterranean habitats, which is inaccessible to humans, has never been mapped (Mammola et al 2019).…”