Coastal Evolution and Relative Sea Level Changes at Psatha (Alkyonides Bay, Greece)

Geomorphological and sedimentological indicators are often used to reconstruct not only coastal evolution, but also relative sea level changes. In this work, we studied the coastal sediments of Psatha bay (Alkyonides Gulf, Greece) and beachrock outcrops in order to reconstruct the coastal evolution of the area. The drillings analysis included stratigraphy, sediment texture and radiocarbon dating. Detailed mapping of the beachrocks was accomplished using DGPS-GNSS, as well as mineralogical analysis and OSL dating of beachrock samples. The new beachrock index points indicate a sea level that fell by 0.64 +/- 0.13 m since 2200 +/- 210 years BP and by 0.95 +/- 0.13 m since 4160 +/- 320 years BP, as a direct result of its location near the uplifting footwall of Psatha fault, suggesting further a rate of tectonic uplift of similar to 0.26 mm/yr for the late Holocene.

Automated summary

Geomorphological and sedimentological indicators were used to reconstruct the coastal evolution and relative sea level changes in Psatha bay, Greece. The study analyzed drillings, mapping, and dating methods to determine the sediment characteristics and beachrock index points. The findings suggest a sea level decrease of 0.64 +/- 0.13 m since 2200 +/- 210 years BP and 0.95 +/- 0.13 m since 4160 +/- 320 years BP, indicating tectonic uplift of approximately 0.26 mm/yr during the late Holocene.