Quaternary Neotectonic Configuration of the Southwestern

Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 24, No. 3, p. 410–427, June 2013 ISSN 1674-487X Printed in China DOI: 10.1007/s12583-013-0334-1

Quaternary Neotectonic Configuration of the Southwestern Peloponnese, Greece, Based on

Luminescence Ages of Marine Terraces

Constantin Athanassas* Laboratory of Archaeometry, Institute of Materials Science, N.C.S.R. ‘Demokritos’,

Aghia Paraskevi, Athens153 10, Greece Ioannis Fountoulis

Department of Dynamic, Tectonic and Applied Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Athens 157 84, Greece

ABSTRACT: This project studies marine terraces in western Messenia, southwestern Peloponnese,

Greece, to propose a model of neotectonic configuration and paleogeographic evolution of western

Messenia during the Quaternary. GIS analysis of topographic data and geological mapping revealed

flanks of raised terraces created on Quaternary marine deposits. Luminescence ages of sediments from

the three westernmost marine terraces tend to be consistent OIS-5, OIS-7 and OIS-9, respectively, thus

agreeing with the three latest warm stages of the Pleistocene. Moreover, the type and the extent of de-

formation of the dated marine terraces allowed us to reflect on the neotectonic configuration of western

Messenia as well as to conclude that progressive differential uplift over the last 300 ka has induced a

dome-like structure to the upper crust of western Messenia.

KEY WORDS: Quaternary, Southwest Greece, neotectonics, sea-level change, marine terrace, lumines-

cence dating, tectonic uplift.

INTRODUCTION The southwestern part of the Peloponnese (Fig. 1)

constitutes one of the most tectonically and seismi-cally active areas of the Eurasian-African convergence zone and offers a unique opportunity to investigate the transition from compressional to extensional deforma-tion in the Hellenic Arc (Papanikolaou et al., 2007). This study was supported by the State Scholarships Foundation

of Greece (No. 1500521537.008.040).

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

© China University of Geosciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin

Heidelberg 2013

Manuscript received April 9, 2012.

Manuscript accepted June 11, 2012.

Convergence between the African and Eurasian plates was initiated in the Jurassic (e.g., Papanikolaou, 1993, 1986; Aubouin, 1977; Jacobshagen, 1977), giving rise to successive orogenic arcs known as the “Hellenides” (Papanikolaou, 2010). In contrast to the central and the southern Aegean, extensional deformation in western Greece came to an end in the Early Miocene and not to begin again until the Late Pliocene (van Hinsbergen et al., 2005a, b). In the meantime, the area was pre-eminently subjected to compressional deformation, a situation which was maintained throughout the Middle Miocene (Underhill, 1989; Mercier et al., 1972). Re-commencement of extensional deformation in the Late Pliocene (i.e., the neo-tectonic period) allowed the sea to intrude into tectonic basins in coastal areas of the western Peloponnese (e.g., Goldsworthy et al., 2002;

Quaternary Neotectonic Configuration of the Southwestern Peloponnese, Greece 411

Figure 1. (a) Schematic map showing the neotectonic regime of the southwestern Peloponnese. 1. Holocene deposits; 2. E. Pleistocene marine deposits; 3. Plio-Pleistocene continental deposits; 4. Plio-Pleistocene lacustrine deposits; 5. Alpine basement; 6. dominant plunge of alpine fold axes; 7. rotational axis; 8. neo-tectonic fault zone; 9. neotectonic fold axis; 10. thrust (modified after Fountoulis and Mariolakos, 2008). (b) Current morpho-neotectonic regime of the Greek territory. MNR. Morphoneotectonic region; MNS. mor-phoneotectonic sector (after Mariolakos and Fountoulis, 2004). Mariolakos et al., 1985; Mariolakos and Papanikolaou, 1981; Mariolakos, 1975), igniting a prolonged period

of marine sedimentation (Mariolakos and Fountoulis, 1991). Subsequent tectonic reactivation at the end of

Constantin Athanassas and Ioannis Fountoulis 412

the Early Pleistocene (Mariolakos et al., 1994a, b) led to the inversion of the kinematic regime of the south-western Peloponnese. In that new regime, the formerly subsiding tectonic blocks were being raised, exposing their marine sediments to aerial erosion. Progressive uplift was encoded in the form of stranded terraces. That kinematic regime still continues to characterise the geologic development of the Hellenic Arc (Vassilakis et al., 2011; Hollestein et al., 2008; Nyst and Thacher, 2004; Kahle et al., 2000; Mariolakos et al., 1998, 1994a, b; Reilinger et al., 1997).

The magnitude of the vertical displacement of tec-tonic blocks can be estimated against the sea level. The latter was not stable but oscillated through geologic time. The Quaternary was characterized by intense cli-matic variations (successions between glacial and inter-glacial stages) which brought about the cyclic rise and fall of the sea level (e.g., Martinson et al., 1987; Imbrie et al., 1984). The interaction between the fluctuating sea level and the bedrock in coastal areas of western Messenia (Fig. 2) was recorded in the coastal geomor-phology in the form specific geomorphic markings, such as stranded marine terraces which frequently con-tain marine sedimentary sequences, as verified by for-mer studies (Athanassas, 2010; Kourampas and Robertson, 2000; Mariolakos et al., 1998, 1994a, b; Fountoulis, 1994; Fountoulis and Moraiti, 1994; Mari-o lakos and Fountoul i s , 1991; Marcopou-lou-Diacantoni et al., 1991; Kowalczyk and Winter, 1979; Kelletat et al., 1976; Kowalczyk et al., 1975). These studies gave evidence that vertical movements in the southwestern Peloponnese have taken place since at least the Early Pleistocene. However, the vertical movements might have occurred at a rate which was not constant, neither in time nor in space. The amount of topographic dislocation of marine terraces in western Messenia could potentially describe the size and the pattern of neotectonic movements in the southwestern Peloponnese. Previous studies were restricted to the qualitative features of the terraces only, lacking nu-merical dating and, thus, failing to quantify the Quater-nary neotectonic processes in the southwestern Pelo-ponnese. Here, by correlating optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of sediments from the raised marine terraces with relative sea-level curves, w e a t t e m p t t o p r o v i d e e s t i m a t e s o f t h e

Figure 2. Digital terrain model of the study area in western Messenia. Dashed lines delimit three major physicographic units, namely the coastal plain (I), the plateau (II) and Kyparissia Mts. (III). Elevetion is provided as color-graded scale in intervals of 135 m. Coordinates are in WGS’89.

magnitude of vertical displacement of the local upper crust.

The study area is located in western Messenia, in the southwestern Peloponnese (Fig. 2), covering a 60 km-long segment of the southwest coast of Greece, parallel to the Hellenic trench which is located 60 km offshore (Fig. 1b). Major physiographic units deter-mine the boundaries of the study area (Fig. 2): the Navarino Bay to the south, the Kyparissia-Kalo Nero Basin to the north, the Kyparissia Mountains to the east and the Ionian Sea to the west.

Our investigation began with vectorization of contour maps in ArcGIS (9.3). Our GIS revealed use-ful geomorphic information, such as a stepped succes-


sion of platforms, intermediate cliffs (seen as abrupt changes in the density of contours in topographic maps) and patterns of local drainage network. Field-work involved in-situ verification of morphological features revealed by the GIS analysis and conventional geological mapping of uplifted marine deposits and of tectonic faults. Material was sampled from the marine sediments for microplaeontological studies, in order to acquire a more comprehensive picture of their pa-leoenvironmental conditions. Field and vectorized data combined in our GIS demonstrated that some of the intermediate topographic breaks concur with faults while the origin of other cliffs at different sites was difficult to be answered on the basis of field and GIS observations only.

Of key importance in numerically constraining the age of the terraces was the engagement of a lumi-nescence dating. Specifically, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been successfully ap-plied to a wide range of depositional environments worldwide. Nevertheless, estimation of OSL ages for quartz-rich sediments from western Messenia turned out to be rather complex as conventional OSL signals were found to lean towards saturation, making it dif-ficult to generate ages beyond 100 ka (Athanassas, 2011), and thus restricting OSL dating applications to the Late Quaternary only.

However more recent technical developments in luminescence dating have broadened the age-range by employing other luminescence signals, known as the ‘thermally-transferred OSL’ (TT-OSL). TT-OSL should allow to extend the age limit beyond conven-tional OSL limitations (Wang et al., 2006a, b). Al-though some aspects of the underlying physics of TT-OSL remain outstanding, studies (Athanassas et al., 2012; Pagonis et al., 2011, 2008; Shen et al., 2011; Adamiec et al., 2010; Athanassas and Zacharias, 2010; Athanassas, 2010; Porat et al., 2009; Stevens et al., 2009; Tsukamoto et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2007, 2006a, b) seem to suggest that TT-OSL can provide an opportunity to push the dating envelope further back, perhaps as much as 300–400 ka. Concerning Messenia, Athanassas and Zacharias (2010) demonstrated that TT-OSL is capable of generating ages at least up to 300 ka approximately.

According to our rationale, which is based on

luminescence dating and is explained below, some of the raised platforms identified during the GIS analysis indeed correspond to marine terraces. As a result, cliffs separating coeval terraces were attributed to faults, whilst escarpments dividing non-coeval but spatially successive terraces were regarded as wave-cut cliffs of abandoned coasts. However, in the exceptional case of Gargaliani-Filiatra escarpment both tectonics and sea-level have influenced the fore-front of the cliff.

The current geometric deviance of the terraces from the concept of a more or less horizontal plane, due to differential segmentation by individual faults, allowed us to reveal the pattern of tectonic deforma-tion, which in turn dictates the local neotectonic con-figuration. By generating numerical values such as the age and the elevation of the terraces, as well as adopt-ing published sea-level data, we estimated the magni-tude of the vertical rise of the terraces western Messenia and ultimately attempted reconstruction of phases of local paleogeography during the Quaternary.

STRATIGRAPHIC AND NEOTECTONIC CONFIGURATION OF MESSENIA Stratigraphy

The map in Fig. 3 displays basic geologic formations outcropping in western Messenia. This map was generated through field observations and study of literature (Kourampas and Robertson, 2000; Mariolakos et al., 1998; Fountoulis and Moraiti, 1994; Marcopoulou-Diacantoni et al., 1991; Mariolakos and Fountoulis, 1991; Fytrolakis, 1980; Perrier, 1980; Mi-tropoulos et al., 1979). The Alpine basement is com-posed of two nappes, namely Pindos and Gavrovo.

Post-Alpine deposits are represented by marls, sandstones and conglomerates, with a small contibution of terrestrial sediments (primarely alluvia in the southern parts). Marine sandstones, marls and conglomerates (Fig. 3), in places intercalated by bio-clastic limestones, cover the entire area of the coastal plain (Unit I in Fig. 2). The plateau (Unit II in Fig. 2) entirely consists of marls. While former reserchers related the majority of post-Alpine marine deposits to the Pliocene (Frydas and Bellas, 1994; Koutsouveli, 1987; Kontopoulos, 1984), it is now believed that these deposits are of Quaternary age (Fountoulis and


Figure 3. Geological map of western Messenia. Jagged markings along fault lines point towards subsiding blocks. Thick lines represent Gargaliani- Filiatra fault.

Moratiti, 1994; Marcopoulou-Diacantoni et al., 1991); presence of foraminifera such as Globorotalia trunca-tulinoides and Hyalinea Balthica (Marcopoulou- Diacantoni et al., 1991) characterizes the onset of Quaternary sedimentation and reflects a global cooling of the seas. The thickness of the Pleistocene marine deposits in western Messenia ranges between 10 m (in coastal cliffs) up to >100 m (in Gargliani escarpment, thick line in Fig. 3). Our fieldwork also verified the occurrence of post-alpine sediments at the southern tip of Sfaktiria Island (Fig. 3).

West of the limestone outcrops shown in Fig. 3, Pleistocene marine deposits occupy the coastal plain (coloured red in Fig. 3). Figure 4 exemplifies the stratigraphy in the coastal plain. Deposits include sandstones, silty sands and conglomerates and contain fossil macrofauna such as bivalves (Pecten, Ostrea, Spondylus Gaederopus, Mytilus, Glycimeris) and ur-chins, while current microscopic analysis (by M. Tri-antaphyllou) yielded benthic foraminifera such as

Ammonia Asterigerinata, Elphidium, Cibicides reful-gens, Cibicides lobatulus and Fissurina, supporting the nearshore character of the marine paleoenviron-ment and warm-water conditions. The thickness of the deposits is less than 10 m and all units dip with 15º but in variable directions: NW in the north areas, W in the middle area, and SW in the south parts of the study area, respectively (arrows in Fig. 3). The dip-vector distribution pattern from north to south gives the im-pression of a dome-shaped structure. Apart from their Pleistocene age nothing more precise is known about the chronology of those marine deposits.

The above monotonous marine stratigraphy is in-terrupted southwards by dune calcarenites at Petro-chori (Fig. 3). Presence of medium to well-sorted sand and other macroscopic features (e.g., rhizoliths) point to aeolian sedimentation on the backshore. Remains of these lithified windblown sands are currently seen partially drowned offshore; a fact which is taken into account in following neotectonic interpretations. An-toniou and Fytrolakis (1988) ascribed the aeolianites of Petrochori to the Late Pleistocene.

Regarding the Holocene marine sedimentation, this is limited to the southern parts of the area only. It mainly includes coastal dunes, beachrocks and the beach barrier along the northern coast of the Navarino Bay. Coring and radiocarbon dating (Zangger et al., 1997; Kraft et al., 1980) revealed substantial marine sedimentation at around 9 ka B.P. but it was later cov-ered by an alluvial fan which now extends between Gialova and Petrochori in Fig. 3.

Neotectonics

Major Alpine tectonic structures of western Messenia stretch in NNW-SSE directions, aligned to the geometry of folds and thrusts of the Hellenic Arc and trench system (Le Pichon and Angelier, 1979; Aubouin, 1977; Jacobshagen, 1977; McKenzie, 1972; Aubouin et al., 1961). As far as the neotectonic (post-Alpine) structure of western Messenia is con-cerned, the study area comprises an agglomeration of multiply-fractured tectonic blocks that are expressed either as tectonic grabens or tectonic horsts, delimited by faults trending approximately in NNW-SSE and E-W directions (Fountoulis and Mariolakos, 2008; van Hinsbergen et al., 2006; Fountoulis, 1994; Mariolakos


and Papanikolaou, 1987, 1981; Mariolakos et al., 1985; King et al., 1983).

Gargaliani-Filiatra heights (Fig. 5a) are the most significant neotectonic structure of the area. They stretch in an NNW-SSE direction. In terms of lithol-ogy, they basically enclose the Eocene limestones and a small part of the Quaternary marine deposits. The heights are bounded between Gargaliani-Filiatra es-carpment to the west (thick black line in Fig. 3) and a smaller cliff to the east (Fig. 5b). The large visible throw (over 150 m) and the fact that it cuts through

different lithologies suppose a tectonic origin for the escarpment. Striking is however the presence of strongly cemented debris at the base of the escarpment that contains sparse bivalve shells. This implies depo-sition and partial reworking of cliff rockfall in a ma-rine environment, an observation with important pa-leogeographic connotations as seen later. Second- order faults define E-W trending ravines (e.g., Lagou-vardos and Filiatrino in Figs. 2 and 3).

Two other major structural components of the area are the tectonic grabens of Marathopolis-

Figure 4. Representative stratigraphic column of nearshore sediments outcropping in a coastal cliff south of Marathopolis (Fig. 3), in the SE part of the project area. The stratigraphic column of the site contrasted to a photograph of the same section on the right. From bottom to top, the sequence starts with silty sands a) goes over firmly cemented standstones b) and terminates to a partially cemented marine conglomerate c). Arrows indicate collected samples.

Figure 5. (a) Gargaliani-Filiatra fault scarp. It separates Platform 3 (in the coastal plain) from Platform 4 (in the highlands). Horizontally arrayed cavities have been developed on its surface. Possibly they were ini-tially carved by a former sea level but later they were widened in aerial conditions. (b) Small fault escarp-ment delimiting the west boundary of Gargaliani-Filiatra horst.


Kyparissia to the west (practically defined by the red-coloured clastic deposits in Fig. 3) and Gargaliani- Pyrgos depression to the east (salmon-coloured area in Fig. 3). Marathopolis-Kyparissia graben accommo-dates the Late Quaternary marine deposits that attract our focus here, while Gargaliani-Pyrgos depression to the east is filled with Early Pleistocene marls. More-over, the tectonic horsts related with Proti and Sfak-tiria islands are of equal importance in the neotectonic analysis that follows on. Tectonic breccia at the base of high-rise cliffs on the east coast of Sfaktiria and all around Proti intimate a tectonic origin for the insular shorelines. Sea floor geophysical survey data (Pa-panikolaou et al., 2007) allowed hypothesising the presence of an extensive fault zone which separates Marathopolis-Kyparissia graben form Proti horst.

In terms of subsurface tectonic geometry, Mari-olakos and Fountoulis (1991) revealed that the mor-phology of the contact between the Pleistocene marine deposits and the Alpine basement resembles an anti-cline or a “macro-fold”, having its axis trending in an ENE-WSW direction. Mariolakos and Fountoulis (1991) attributed this convex contact geometry to dif-ferential uplift across the area, with the central seg-ments rising faster than the north and south edges.

Although Mariolakos and Foutoulis (1991) have reported the existence of slickensides in the wider area, those, however, have not been preserved in the soft post-Alpine sediments between Petrochori and Ky-parissia (Fig. 3). In cases where evidence was insuffi-cient, faults were mapped as probable (dashed lines in Fig. 3). Those probable faults run perpendicularly to Gargaliani-Filiatra fault. They intersect both Alpine and post-Alpine deposits and markedly coincide with major E-W trending ravines.

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

In terms of elevation, three physiographic units can be identified (Fig. 2). The lowlands to the west (Unit I in Fig. 2) comprise a relatively smooth coastal plain consisted of the Quaternary littoral sediments. Its maximum altitude is 150 m. A group of pediments, formed on soft deposits constituting the plateau (Unit II) which is situated immediately east of Unit I, and all have an average elevation of 300 m. To the east, the plateau is discontinued by the Kyparissia Mountains

(Unit III) and it consists of hard rocks which rise up to 1 200 m.

With the intention of identifying marine terraces in western Messenia, we employed GIS analysis of contour maps to detect changes in the morphological gradient. Figure 6 displays a succession of five plat-forms identified in western Messenia revealed through the GIS analysis. The three western ones (platforms 1, 2 and 3) are distributed at average heights of 30, 50 and 80 m, respectively and dip seawards at low angles (~2º), similar to the slope of the modern nearshore seafloor (Papanikolaou et al., 2007).

The platforms become progressively narrower and lower in north and south directions, until they fi-nally come to merge into a single platform at the north and south ends. With reference to the two easternmost platforms, Platform 4 is a cluster of relic pediments encircled by closed contours. Disintegrated pediments are hypsometrically distributed at variable elevations across E-W incised ravines (e.g., Lagouvardos and Evaggelistria in Fig. 6). Platform 5 is composed of more extensive pediments, terminating at the foot of the Kyparissia Mts. to the east. Platforms have also been reported from the islands of Proti and Sfaktiria. Apart from the localized presence of raised sandstones and calcareous marls at the southernmost tip of Sfak-tiria, both islands had their platforms directly carved onto the Cretaceous/Eocene limestone, totally lacking any datable sediments.

Besides, this project also dealt with the study of the morphology of cliffs dividing the platforms, which may owe either to fault scarps or to erosional cliffs undercut by former sea levels or to both causes. Cliffs in Fig. 6 are pinpointed by closely spaced contours and are shown as dashed lines. A notch-like longitu-dinal hollowing along the base of the cliff separating the two westernmost platforms (1 and 2) was identi-fied in the field. No evidence of tectonic influence was observed. Concerning the immediately eastern mor-phological cut-off (between platforms 2 and 3), it lacks the sharpness of the formerly described one. With respect to Gargaliani-Filiatra cliff (Fig. 5), cur-rent and former studies confirm its tectonic origin, as explained earlier. Existence of notch-like cavities on Gargaliani-Filiatra cliff’s surface, constitutes profound evidence that the fault escarpment was once affected


Figure 6. Map illustrating five platforms and their inreposing morphological breaks idientified in western Messenia. Yellow diamonds represent the position of raised notch-like rock shelters. Scaled arrows indicate the degree of abruptness of the to-pographic discontinuities. by a former Quaternary sea level. It is very likely that these cavities were further widened later by aeolian action and karstification in aerial conditions.

Finally, we studied the local drainage network as the drainage pattern can be affected, and eventually reflect, trends in regional tectonic activity. Ravines that set off from the foot of Kyparissia Mts., traverse the plateau and the coastal plain, discharging their load

into the Ionian Sea. Figure 7 illustrates the drainage network of the study area. Principally, ravines are characterized by radial courses flowing towards the NW in the northern areas, W in the central segment, and SW in the southern parts. The radial system (Fig. 7) has been developed on the Pleistocene marine sediments. It is known that radial drainage is usually created circumferentially to dome-like structures. This pattern presupposes higher uplift rates in the central segments of the area than in its periphery, a remark that conforms with the observations of Mariolakos and Fountoulis (1991). However small and localized dis-crepancies from the radial pattern are witnessed cross-wise major watersheds seen in Fig. 7. Either topical rotations of tectonic blocks or lithological factors can possibly lead to small deviations from the general ra-dial pattern. On the scale of individual ravines, stream development is characterized as ‘parallel’. Parallel streams constitute the simplest form of overland runoff that can be developed on a slope. Their geometry is not dictated by the tectonics, pointing basically to the ju-venility of the surface that they traverse (Twidale, 2004; Pirazzoli et al., 1993). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The arrangement of the platforms illustrated in Fig. 6 drove sample collection. Samples were collected from undisturbed sections exposed along major W-E trending ravines, from modern coastal cliffs, and from roadcuts. Figure 8 illustrates the location of the sample sites in western Messenia, in relation to the mapped surfaces. We studied 21 sites, where 28 samples were collected.

All luminescence ages are presented in Fig. 8 (for details in OSL and TT-OSL dating procedures on local sediments see Athanassas, 2010, 2011; Athanassas and Zacharias, 2010; Athanassas et al., 2012) and range from very young (0.25 ka) to 300 ka approximately.

With the purpose of placing a greater strain on the chronology of the Quaternary marine deposits of west-ern Messenia we additionally submitted sedimentary material for nannochronology. Suitable samples were collected from Gargaliani escarpment, the plateau, and similar occurrences on southern Sfaktiria (Fig. 3). Samples from the plateau (Unit II) yielded species such as Calcidiscus macintyrei and Geophyrocapsa


Figure 7. Drainage network of western Messenia. Dashed lines represent watersheds separating ba-sins with different runoff directions (green arrows). Dotted lines mark watersheds of individual streams. caribbeanica (M. Triantaphyllou and E. Moraiti). Those fossils denoted the MNN-19b biozone (Rio et al., 1990), which is related to the period between 1.597–1.58 Μa (Raffi and Flores, 1995). Sediments from Sfaktiria designated the MNN-19e biozone which falls in the 1.25–0.95 Ma period (M. Triantaphyllou personal communication) This chronology renders the Pleistocene marine deposits of the island slightly younger than those of the mainland. In any case, our nannopaleontological tests support the speculations of Marcopoulou-Diacantoni et al. (1991) and Fountoulis and Moratiti (1994) about the spatial expanse of the marine Quaternary sediments in western Messenia,

predicating also a Quaternary age for the landforms that have been created in these deposits.

However, nannofossils abounded, unfortunately, only in the fine Early Pleistocene calcareous marls and not in the coarser luminescence-dated samples prevent-ing us from administering some control on our lumi-nescence ages. Thus, direct comparisons with published sea level curves and the local geomorphology was the only means of obtaining some chronological control on our luminescence ages. To the best of our knowledge, there are no sea level curves capturing the entire period of the Quaternary for the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Thus, all following assumptions were obliged to global relative sea level curves (e.g., Rohling et al., 2009; Bin-tanja et al., 2005; Lea et al., 2002).

Figure 9a presents, in the form of bars, the chronological spread of ages for Platform 1 and con-trasts them with the Middle–Late Quaternary sea level time scale. Although a broad range of ages is seen on Platform 1, most dates cluster around 100±25 ka ap-proximately. This group of ages roughly matches with OIS-5, the last relatively long warm geological period. A similar tendency is observed for Platform 2 (Fig. 9b). Although the number of the dated samples is smaller for Platform 2, most luminescence ages come under the penultimate warm stage at ~225±25 ka (OIS-7). Thus, samples coming from Platform 2 are older than those of Platform 1 by one glaciation cycle on average.

However, some deviations from the general trend are indeed seen in Fig. 9. For example, three samples with OIS-7 ages (MRT1, KLG1 and KNR3 in Fig. 8; rightmost bars in Fig. 9a) are found on the platform which dates to OIS-5 (Platform 1). Whether these dis-crepancies owe to insufficient performance of lumines-cence dating for some of the samples can not be ade-quately answered now. Another possibility is that wave erosion during OIS-5 might have outweighed sedimenta-tion onto the pre-existent OIS-7 deposits at these specific sites. Luminescence ages from Sfaktiria (SFK2 in Fig. 8) are uncertain too. Although nannoplacton assigns the deposits to the MNN19e biozone, between 1.6–0.95 Ma, the corresponding TT-OSL age is 279±25 ka. As regards to isolate samples collected outside any stratigraphic context (e.g., PRT1, ALM1, PRT1 and GRG3) they are lacking age control too. Insecure ages were thus treated with cautiousness.


Figure 8. (a) Spatial distribution of sample sites, their respective sample codes and their luminescence ages. At sites where more than one sample was measured, ages are arrayed in stratigraphic order (from top to bottom). Ages are given in kilo-anni (ka). (b) Chronological classification of the marine Pleistocene littoral deposits and depiction of paleocoasts based on the oxygen isotope stages chronology.

Figure 9. Distribution of luminescence ages for platforms 1 (a) and 2 (b) contrasted to the sea level changes timescale for the Middle–Late Pleistocene. The majority of the calculated ages show some agreement with the last warm stage (ΟΙS-5), while those from Platform 2 merely pinpoint the penultimate warm stage (ΟΙS-7).

Nevertheless, the relative observed agreement of the rest (majority) of the ages with warm Quaternary stages, in conjunction with the fact that current mi-cropaleontological examinations suggest warm water conditions for these samples, may lend reliability to

many of our luminescence dates. On this assumption, the two westernmost platforms (1 and 2) most proba-bly correspond to the two most recent third order transgressions of the Quaternary, namely the OIS-5 and OIS-7. To the degree that the abovementioned


uncertainties allowed, luminescence-dated terraces were subjected to further analysis. Consensus of ter-races 1 and 2 with the latest Pleistocene warm stages (OIS-5 and OIS-7, respectively) renders their inter-posing cliff as the average paleo-coastline of the last warm stage. Additionally, coincidence of the lumi-nescence ages from platforms 2 and 3 suggests an once uniform terrace, now bisected by a fault which matches with the topographic break between them. An age of 320±22 ka for GRG3 tentatively suggests an OIS-9 age for Platform 4. It has already been men-tioned that the adjacent Gargaliani-Filiatra escarpment bears influence from both tectonic activity and sea wave action (i.e., notches and cliff rockfall deposited in an aquatic environment). Consequently, Gargaliani- Filiatra escarpment is the most likely candidate for the coastline during OIS-7.

Furthermore, the trace of the cliffs illustrated in the map of Fig. 8 can also be safely considered as the stratigraphic boundary between different cycles of Quaternary marine sedimentation. Therefore, current results allow us to sub-divide the area covered by the marine Quaternary deposits into distinctive chronostratigraphic stages of the Mid–Late Pleisto-cene, through the OIS perception. This is summarised in Fig. 8b.

Nonetheless, difficulties to recognize terraces in the north and south rims rendered the chronological discrimination of the marine Quaternary sediments unpractical and, hence, respective paleo-coasts have been drawn as probable in these areas (dashed lines in Fig. 8b). For this reason littoral outcrops remain undi-vided in the north and south sectors.

Knowing that the identified paleo-coastlines once belonged to a horizontal sea-surface, it would be in-teresting to investigate their current deformation, given that the pattern of deformation of the paleo-coast can mirror, to an important degree, the motif of overall neotectonic deformation of the area. This can be studied with higher precision in the mid-dle part of the area, where the two paleo-coastlines were better reconstructed. This situation is more un-certain in the north and south segments. Lines in Fig. 10 are topographic sections along the tracks of the paleo-coasts determined in Fig. 8b.

As expected, paleo-coastlines deviate signifi-

cantly from the sense of the horizontal plain and they appear dissected across major ravines reported in Fig. 6. Dissected parts imply differential vertical displace-ment. Starting with the older one (OIS-7), its middle segments look as if they have been uplifted faster than its tailing-off parts in north and south directions. The pattern of deformation gives the impression of a con-vex trend, while the uplift rate for the middle part of the area is roughly estimated to be about 0.6 mm/a. Similar observations apply to the 100±25 ka paleo-coast. The pattern of uplift for the younger coast is similar to that of the older one but of smaller intensity since it has been moving up for a shorter period of time. The modern topographic configuration of the paleo-coasts suggests a similar, convex-like, style of tectonic deformation for the upper crust of the south-western Peloponnesian, reminding the speculations made by Mariolakos and Fountoulis (1991) about ‘macro-folding’ processes in western Messenia.

Figure 11 synthesizes the topographic distribu-tion of the paleo-coasts (as derived from luminescence dating of the neighbouring terraces), the topographic distribution of the mapped pediments identified in Fig. 6, the drainage pattern. The average elevation of the disintegrated pediments varies across E-W incised ravines (e.g., Lagouvardos, Evaggelistria and Filiatrino) and matches also with breaks in the topog-raphy of the paleo-coastlines observed in Fig. 10 as well as the relief morphology. These coupling obser-vations confirm the presence of fault zones that spa-tially coincide with major ravines of the area (the de-velopment of the latter has been favoured by the activ-ity of the faults). These newly verified faults dissect western Messenia in W-E directions and delimit indi-vidual tectonic blocks, each uplifting progressively the upper crust of West Messenia.

Despite the general tendency for uplift, a kine-matic diversification is observed at Petrochori (Fig. 6) in the very south of the project area. Markedly, lumi-nescence ages for coastal aeolianites (PTC1: 120±17 ka in Fig. 8) point towards the last interglacial, a geo-logical period when sea level was proximal to the modern sea surface or maybe a little higher. Given that extensive parts of these supra-tidal formations are currently drowned, it can be presumed that the north periphery of the Bay of Navarino has been subjected


Figure 10. Topographic sections along the trace of paleo-coastlines dated to 225±25 ka (ΟΙS-7) and 100±25 ka (ΟΙS-5), respectively. Solid lines represent the confirmed parts of the pale-ocoasts, while dashed lines refer to their probable extensions in areas where verification was problematic. Dotted lines correspond to parts intersected by major streams of the area.

Figure 11. This figure schematically associates geomorphic data (pediments, drainage pattern) with paleo- coasts revealed by luminescence dating. Discontinuities separating groups of pediments and cutting the paleo-coasts can be related to faults dictating the flowing directions of major ravines of the area. Numbers by the pediment surfaces provide their average elevations. to tectonic subsidence since at least the last 120 000 years.

Those observations are in agreement with Flem-ming et al.’s (1973) claims who proposed a subsidence rate of 0.5 mm/a for the beach barrier separating the Gialova lagoon from the Navarino Bay (Fig. 3). Dis-similarities in the kinematic behaviour in the vicinity of Navarino from the rest of the area can be ade-quately explained by the function of a fault being ac-tivated along Alafinorema ravine, showed in Fig. 11. NEOTECTONIC AND PALEOGEOGRAPHIC EVOLUTION OF WEST MESSENIA DURING THE QUATERNARY

The results of the foregoing analysis were further exploited in order to propose a model of neotectonic

and paleogaeographic evolution for western Messenia over the Quaternary. In order to demonstrate the tec-tonic structure and paleogeography of the study area at each stage, the uplift rates noted earlier were taken into account here. Paleo-relief was simulated by re-ducing the modern topography by the amount of the uplift inferred from the dated raised deposits.

The description starts in the later part of the Lower Pleistocene at ~1.6 Ma ago (Fig. 12a). Paleo-geographic conditions were significantly different from the modern situation. Relief was about 500 m lower, whereas the Kyparissia Mountains were the dominant physiographic unit and actually constituted a peninsula connected to the northeast with the rest of the Peloponnese. This statement conforms with the claims by Mariolakos et al. (1994a, b). The rest of


Figure 12. Stages of neotectonic and paleogeographic evolution of western Messenia during the Quaternary. With red are faults that were active at each stage.


western Messenia was covered by the Ionian Sea. Ab-sence of Early Quaternary deposits at sites where bar-ren limestone rocks outcrop today might indicate that these areas were already emerged by the Early Pleis-tocene. Such sites are the islands of Proti and Sfaktiria (except for the SE tip of the latter), the limestone oc-currences at Pylos, the Miocene formations to the north (“Raches” area in Fig. 12a), as well as the lime-stone hills between Gargaliani and Filiatra, in the mid-dle of the area.

We can, hence, assume the existence of an an-cient miniarchipelago west of the ‘paleo-peninsula’ of Kyparissia Mountains. That archipelago was repre-sented by the modern islands of Proti, Sfaktiria, some small rocky islands north-east of Sfaktiria as well as a large elongated island between Gargaliani and Filiatra (perhaps split into smaller islands). Pylos must have been an island too (Mariolakos et al., 1994a, b). Given that paleogeographic arrangement, we can speculate the activity of some of the faults we recognize today in the area. The large NNW-SSE fault zone between Gargaliani and Filiatra (Fig. 12a) was probably active in the Lower Quaternary, moving upwards the Alpine background in the form of a tectonic horst. Existence of other fault zones, transverse to the aforementioned ones, cannot be excluded. The faults which bound seawards the Cretaceous and Eocene limestones of Proti and Sfaktiria were probably active during that stage too but, as their activity cannot be fully verified, these faults are represented with dashed lines in Fig. 12a.

Unfortunately, lack of chronological data for the time span between 1.6 Ma–225 ka prevents us from reconstructing the intermediate stages of paleo-geographic evolution. Kourampas and Robertson (2000) attempted to speculate on this vaguely known period, claiming that much of the Quaternary uplift of western Messenia occurred during that phase (Kourampas and Robertson, 2000).

Next stage in the reconstruction of the neotec-tonic evolution is the transgression at 250 ka ago (Fig. 12b). During that period paleogeographic configura-tion was still different from present. Local relief was some 100 m lower. The entire area east of Gargaliani had emerged, exposing the marine sediments to aerial conditions, while the older limestone ‘island’ of Gar-

galiani had become attached to the mainland. Simi-larly, the ‘islands’ of Pylos and Raches had become part of the mainland. Proti, Sfaktiria and some smaller rocky islets NE of Sfaktiria represented the remaining archipelago. The coastline had moved several km westwards, and the Ionian Sea was interacting with the Gargaliani-Filiatra fault scarp making the latter the tectonic coastline of the period. The area from Mara-thopolis to Filiatra remained inundated, where shallow water sedimentation of sands and marls was taking place, incorporating warm water fauna. This period also initiated morphogenetic processes in the area be-tween Kyparissia Mountains and Gargaliani-Filiatra hills. E-W trending faults were controlling the devel-opment of major ravines during that stage (i.e., Lagouvardos, Evaggelistria, Filiatrino). The drainage network, which formerly was aligned with the Alpine structures, acquired its radial pattern during the Mid-dle Pleistocene. That period of high sea level ceased soon after 200 ka ago, and was succeeded by cold climate conditions and a significant regression which lasted for 75 000 years (OIS-6). Sea level dropped by 120 m approximately (e.g., Imbrie et al., 1984) expos-ing large portions of the formerly submarine areas to aerial conditions.

The substantial uplift that had occurred during the previous stage altered the topography so that the rising sea level on the advent of the last interglacial encountered a different paleogeography (Fig. 12c). During the last interglacial, a large portion of the penultimate-interglacial sediments remained emerged, undergoing erosion under aerial conditions. Topogra-phy had been elevated by 75 m on average. The Ionian Sea had abandoned permanently Gargalian-Filiatra cliff which has been activated in an entirely terrestrial environment from then on. Many sites remained emerged (e.g., Filiatra) while a few others continued to be inundated (e.g., Marathopolis). Faults continued to control the development of the drainage network, accelerating the elongation of major ravines west-wards. That paleogeography was maintained for an-other 25 000 years and was then supervened by the last glacial cycle. Overall sea level fell by 125 m (Lambeck, 1996) uncovering extensive areas of the shelf. The drainage network west of Gargaliani un-derwent major development. Major ravines were


lengthened westwards by a few more kilometres, the development of which was determined by the major E-W active faults. Their flow must have been ad-vanced on the exposed shelf. Indeed, recent seafloor surveys (Camera et al., 2008) revealed that Lagouvar-dos continues undersea and evolves into a canyon on the outer shelf. Neotectonic processes elevated west-ern Messenia by at least 40 m on average. Thus, the new transgression at the beginning of the Holocene (~12 000 years ago) confronted a coastal geography more or less similar to the modern one.

CAVEAT

All the above discussion was based on global sea level records that have their origin outside the Mediterranean Basin. Although the Mediterranean Sea is nearly landlocked, depths at the straits of Gibraltar range between 300–900 m, implying that it has been connected to the Atlantic Ocean since at least the lat-est interglacial-glacial cycles, even during the most extreme sea level minima (e.g., van Andel, 1989; Shackleton et al., 1984). Consequently, the Mediter-ranean Sea must have followed at least the major oce-anic sea level trends of the Middle–Late Quaternary, maybe with a certain degree of lag in response to the global ice build up. CONCLUSIONS

Digital analysis of relief maps, in conjunction with in situ observations, revealed the existence of a sequence of five raised platforms in the southwest Peloponnese which are carved in Quaternary littoral deposits. Luminescence ages of samples from the three western platforms exhibited a fair amount of agreement with the three most recent warm stages of the Pleistocene, equating these landforms to raised marine terraces generated during the OIS-5, -7 and -9, respectively. As regards to the two eastern platforms, these mainly reflect pediments. Further analysis of contour maps facilitated the identification of paleo- coasts interposing the raised terraces. Examination of the modern geometry of the paleocoasts brought forth topographic discontinuities the cause of which was attributed to a number of faults which uplift parts western Messenia differentially. The uplift velocity was found to be higher at the centre of the area and

progressively lower towards the north and south ends. This style of differential uplift induces an anticline- like structure to the upper crust of western Messenia. It is the same faults that determine the course of major ravines too. It therefore seems, through paleogeogrpa-hic reconstructions, that western Messenia does not behave as a uniform entity but it consists of individual blocks each having its own kinematic development over the Quaternary.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank M. Triantafyllou (Department of Ge-ology & Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Greece) for nanoplankton analysis, E. Moraiti (Insti-tute of Geological and Mining Exploration, Greece) for SEM microscopy on microfauna and A. Zambetaki (Department of Geology & Geoenvironment, Univer-sity of Athens, Greece) for microfaunal investigations. Authors are also thankful to one anonymous reviewer for providing feedback on the manuscript. The second author, Prof. Ioannis Fountoulis passed away shortly before the publication of this article. He will be re-membered as a distinguished scientist and colleague.

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Quaternary Neotectonic Configuration of the Southwestern