Guest Editorial
Implications for Late Quaternary Sea Level Changes on the Mediterranean
and Black Sea Coasts
e MEDBLACKS2014
International Workshop in the Framework of Turkish-German Sci-ence Year, 2013e2014.
This special volume collects papers presented in the interna-tional workshop entitled “Implications for Late Quaternary Sea Level Changes on the Mediterranean and Black Sea Coastse MED-BLACKS2014” organized by Is¸ık and Ardahan Universities, Turkey, within the scope of the 2013e2014 Turkish-German Science Year. Sponsored by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), the event took place between August 31eSeptember 6, 2014 at Is¸ık Univer-sity, Istanbul, Turkey, followed by three days offield trips visiting several coastal outcrops, such as carbonate eolianite deposits on the NW Black Sea coast of Turkey, thick Chaudian marine terrace se-quences in Gelibolu at the NE exit of the Canakkale Strait (Darda-nelles) on the SW Marmara Sea coast, and the ancient cities of Troy, Bergama and Efes as well as the ancient port of Elaia on the Aegean coast. The workshop aimed to bring together geoscientists to research traces of late quaternary sea level changes on the Med-iterranean and Black Sea coasts.
This volume contains 15 selected papers from MEDBLACKS2014. Fischer et al. provide for thefirst time a combined interpretation of geomorphological, sedimentary and microfaunal evidence in re-gard to the impact of Holocene tsunamis on Corfu (Ionian Islands, Greece). Manifesting recurring palaeotsunami impacts during the Holocene on the eastern and south-western coasts of Corfu, they conclude that tsunamis are associated with the major seismic zone of the Hellenic Trench as well as local submarine landslides.
Goodman-Tchernov and Katz report the presence of a submerged paleo-coastline from the southern Levantine coastline and infer that these coastal forms, such as submerged notches, pits and over-hanging cliffs, resulted from a step-like, more punctuated process of sea-level rise along this limited part of Israel's coastline. Konta-kiotis addresses the main palaeoceanographic changes and palae-oenvironmental evolution of the Aegean Sea based on use of paleoceanographic indexes and stable isotopes. Dealing with the distributional patterns and abundance variations of late Quaternary planktonic foraminifera from two cores at two different sites, i.e. the north Aegean basin and the easternmost part of the recent vol-canic arc in the south Aegean Sea, the author suggests that the most important environmental changes occurred between 5.4 and 4.3 ka. At that time, the Sapropel Mid Holocene (SMH) deposition occurred in the semi-enclosed shallow south Aegean area under relatively warm and humid conditions.
Providing concretefield evidence on the widespread presence of uplifted and submerged tidal notches, and different generations of beachrock combined with several relics of ancient coastal struc-tures as the archaeological data, Mourtzas et al. focus on the geomorphological characteristics of the coast of Crete and demon-strate an overall submergence of 1.60 m and 2.65 m in western and central-eastern Crete, respectively, which took place at between 4000 BP and 396 BP. They propose that the sea level around AD 365 was at 1.25 m compared to the present and then paroxysmal tectonic events caused different uplift rates on the island's coast; the last two of which occurred during the 1604 earthquake and Contents lists available atScienceDirect
Quaternary International
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e :w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / q u a i n t Quaternary International 401 (2016) 1e3
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.12.010
those following throughout the last 0.4 ka, causing subsidence of 0.70 m and 0.55 m, respectively. Based on the evidence of sea level change on the Peloponnesian coast, Saronic Gulf, Greece, Kolaiti and Mourtzas also studied submerged beachrocks and marine notches as geomorphological features together with various ancient coastal constructions, such as ancient harbours and harbour districts, a sunken country villa, ancientfills as makeshift protective works against sea waves and some building remains, etc. at eight different locations. They suggest the existence of three distinct sea levels at 3.30 ± 0.15 m, 0.90 ± 0.15 m and 0.55± 0.05 m, a long-lasting stability in sea level between 1800 BC and AD 400± 100, and a rapid rise in sea level 1600 ± 100 y.
Meriç et al.'s paper questioning the migration time of Amphiste-gina lobifera Larsen individuals to the eastern Mediterranean via the Suez Canal provides a topic for debate regarding the key role of the Suez Canal with regard to migration of Indo-Pacific originated for-aminifers. Based on OSL age estimations, they discuss the presence of a rich benthic foraminifera assemblage within coastal sediments near Akkuyu (Mersin) region since Middle Pleistocene. They conclude that a different natural waterway which connected the Indo-Pacific to the Eastern Mediterranean paved the way for its migration and refutes the assumption suggesting its appearance in the eastern Mediterranean as dating from the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
Filipova-Marinova et al. studied multi-proxy records of Holo-cene palaeoenvironmental changes in the Lake Varna area on the western Black Sea coast based on combined palaeoecological inter-pretation of high-resolution spore-pollen analysis of laminated lake sediments with micropalaeontological analyses of dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, and fossil algal and fungal remains. They conclude that, by virtue of a rise in the Black Sea water level, initial formation of the lake was 7870 cal. BP during the so-called Vityazevyan Black Sea Transgression, which was followed by several paleoenviron-mental changes. Karlıoglu et al. took palynological data as evi-dence for human occupation in western Rough Cilicia in south-eastern Turkey and devote attention to the vanishing cedar forests in the Rough Cilician highland as a result of ancient forestry prac-tices. Based on palynological analysis of pollen samples collected from four different sites, they found widespread distribution of Cedrus together with Abies, Pinus, Juniperus, Quercus ilex type and Juglans and an inverse relationship existing between Cedrus, Abies, and Pinus. They also allude to the intermittent existence of Quercus and Juniperus due to a more arid (colder) climate or forest clear-ance. Meriç et al. studied in detail foraminifera and ostracod spe-cies together with gastropoda and bivalvia within core samples collected from the Asi (Orontes) delta plain in Hatay, Turkey, to discuss the time of the Red Sea-Mediterranean connection over the Dead Sea Fault Zone. Based on determination of an abundance of some benthic foraminifera typical of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, they infer the existence of a marine connec-tion via the Gulf of Aqaba on the Dead Sea Fault Zone during the Pleistocene.
Ozturk et al. consider successive stages of beachrock cementa-tion based on SEM analyses of cement fabrics and OSL dating esti-mations in order to discuss implications for Holocene sea-level changes. Based on the analyses and OSL age of samples collected from ten different sites along the North Cyprus coast, they suggest that the cemented beds, composed of sandstone alternating with conglomerate laden with ooids, benthic and planktic foraminifera, bioclasts of red algae, echinoid spines and gastropods, have four distinct cements: i.e. circumgranular micritic coatings, sparry calcite infillings, pore fills, and meniscus bridges. This consecutive nature of cementation typical of a marine phreatic and meteoric vadose environment is considered to be indicative of the precipita-tion of connective carbonates when the sea level was lower than
present, albeit with a tendency to increase during middle to late Holocene. OSL ages of beachrocks yielded two distinctive periods, i.e. 5.4e2.3 ka and 2.3 kae0.38 ka, suggesting a millennial gap be-tween 3.5 ka and 2.3 ka.
Avcıoglu et al. took beachrock as evidence to understand the impact of active tectonics on the coast of Gokceada Island, northern Aegean Sea, Turkey. Studying beachrocks in 5 different sections lying in two groups, i.e. the western and eastern group beds have two different bedding characteristics,
d
18O andd
13C stable isotope compositions, cement microfabrics and 14C ages. The western group dated to 4010e5830 BP is separated from the other, having a younger age of 620e2390 BP, by the so-called Ugurlu Fault, a right lateral strike slip with reverse component oblique fault trending in a NEeSW direction. They suggest that this fault was responsible for an earthquake in the period between the formation of the two beachrock groups (2390e4010 BP) that caused both the destruction of Gokçeada Yenibademli mound and the development of two gen-erations of beachrock.Büyükmeriç et al. contributed to the ongoing debate on the na-ture of Middle-late Pleistocene Marmara-Black Sea corridors (Izmit Bay, eastern Marmara Sea) based on determination of 32 middle Pleistocene and 53 late Pleistocene mollusc species found within Pleistocene high-stand marine deposits at Yalova, Izmit Bay, NE Marmara Sea Basin, Turkey. Based on comprehensive paleontolog-ical data, they predicate a close biogeographic relationship with contemporaneous Black Sea faunas rather than the Mediterranean, and suggest, by considering regional uplift rates and global sea level fluctuations, depositional periods at MIS7, MIS5e and MIS5d. Anzi-dei et al. studied a submerged pier of Roman age dated to 2100± 100 BP as evidence of relative sea level changes and vertical land movements at Marina Lunga, Lipari Islands, Southern Italy based on multibeam and archaeological data. They propose that the rate of subsidence leading to the current submergence of the Roman pier is 5.79± 0.1 mm y 1, the result of cumulative effects
of relative sea level changes driven by the regional glacio-hydro-isostatic signal since the LGM and local volcano-tectonic land sub-sidence. They conclude that the harbour fell into disuse around the fourth century AD.
Damcı and Çagatay introduce a new approach for counting laminae along a sediment core based on the use of digital and analogue X-ray radiographic images. To this end, they used test samples from three different lakes, i.e. Lake Nautajarvi in central Finland, Lake Van in eastern Turkey and Byfjorden fjord on the west coast of Sweden, and compared their results with previously-dated sections in the studied cores. Based on common knowledge regarding problems in counting laminated sediments due to sedimentation processes and the need to know the number of laminae in a varve structure, they prepared core samples for X-ray radiography and developed a practical algorithm allowing easy determination of lamina and calculation of varve ages. Poly-meris et al. attempted for thefirst time to date fossil root casts (rhi-zoliths) embedded within Late Pleistocene eolianites on the western Black Sea coast of Turkey using thermoluminescence together with OSL ages obtained from the surrounding eolianites. The TL age of CaCO3infills within rhizoliths that occupy the original
place of the decayed plant roots yielded an older age of 26.8 (±5.0) ka, coinciding with MIS 2, when compared to the age of the surrounding two consecutive MIS 5 layers of eolianite, dated to 105.2± 15.6 ka and 127 ± 9 ka. They conclude that the rhizoliths and their carbonate infill was the result of windblown drift of shelf carbonates during the last glacial period and suggest these fossil root casts may be younger that the host rock eolianites.
We would like to gratefully thank Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, president of the Turkish Academy of Sciences, for his support in organizing this workshop, the reviewers for critically evaluating
Guest Editorial / Quaternary International 401 (2016) 1e3 2
manuscripts through their comments, and the editor-in-chief Norm Catto, who furnished the occasion to publish these papers in a spe-cial volume of Quaternary International.
Ahmet Evren Erginal* Ardahan University, Faculty of Humanities and Letters, Department of Geography, Yenisey Campus, Ardahan, Turkey
Nafiye Güneç Kıyak CEO, Fevziye Schools Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey
*Corresponding author.
E-mail address:aerginal@gmail.com(A.E. Erginal).
Available online 23 December 2015
