Late Holocene sea level change along the coast of Fethiye Gulf in southwestern Turkey

Abstract

AbstractIn the Fethiye Gulf on the southwest coast of Turkey, several submerged archaeological sites provide useful data about relative sea level changes since the Byzantine period. The current elevations of contemporary archaeological structures were measured to determine the amount of relative sea level change. The archaeological sea level markers in this seismically active region provide new data about the amount and period of relative sea level rise. Taking into consideration the time of the last use of the structures, instead of their time of construction, three different rates of vertical land movement of 2.18 ± 0.3, 2.96 ± 0.3, and 3.29 ± 0.5 mm/yr were estimated. These data indicate that tectonic activity differs from region to region, most likely related to local normal faults in the gulf. Recent earthquakes have confirmed active seismicity in this area. These results demonstrate that the changing sea levels in the Fethiye Gulf have been strongly influenced by vertical tectonic movement over the last 1,400 years. Results also contribute to studies of future coastal changes in the Fethiye Gulf and its surroundings.