Coastal Uplift along the Eastern Black Sea Coast: New Marine Terrace Data from Eastern Pontides, Trabzon (Turkey) and a Review

Abstract

Abstract An emerged, Quaternary, marine terrace sequence has been investigated near Trabzon, Turkey, along a ∼20-km-long stretch of the coast of the southeastern Black Sea. The sequence includes seven principal marine terraces. The terraces are frequently compound and include up to three second-order marine terraces. The upper shoreline angles of the main terraces were found at the following maximum elevations above mean sea level: 3 ± 0.5 m (TH), 12 ± 3 m (T1), 36 ± 2 m (T2), 79 ± 9 m (T3), 120 ± 3 m (T4), 138 ± 10 m (T5), and 260 ± 25 m (T6). Fossil bivalves and gastropods from the TH, T1, T2, and T3 deposits have been dated by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). The results show that the ages of the deposits from the TH, T1, T2, and T3 terraces are 5.141 ± 0.294 ka, 124.8 ± 26.0 ka, 292.5 ± 49.8 ka, and 407.998 ± 67.475 ka, respectively. Consequently, we correlate TH, T1, T2, and T3 to marine isotope stage (MIS) 1, 5e, 9, and 11, which correspond to ∼5, ∼123, ∼321, and ∼400 ka highstands, respectively. Esti...