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Coastal slope terracing and relative sea‐level changes: Deductions based on computer simulations
Author(s) -
Cinque A.,
De Pippo T.,
Romano P.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290200108
Subject(s) - sea level , geology , interpretation (philosophy) , tectonics , erosion , deposition (geology) , current (fluid) , physical geography , geomorphology , paleontology , oceanography , computer science , geography , sediment , programming language
Although a traditional geological survey of terraced coastal slopes is an essential part of studies aimed to reconstruct relative sea‐level changes, the stratigraphic and chronological data so obtained frequently prove inadequate to completely unravel the sometimes very complex history of sea‐level fluctuation, especially where erosion has prevailed over deposition and/or deposits are difficult to date. On the basis of our experience we think that much additional information can be gained through geomorphological interpretation of the profiles of those slopes. In order to facilitate such interpretation, a computer simulation model is developed that is able to predict the morphogenic response to a variety of possible relative‐sea‐level histories. The results can be used to envisage some new interpretation keys for the analysis of real situations and, hopefully, as bases for the conception of general models of coastal slope evolution under the action of a variable sea level. Though preliminary, the results so far obtained permit identification of the geomorphological consequences (in terms of resulting slope profile) of ordered successions of transgressions and regressions of different amplitude, rate, order and style. Moreover they provide interesting insights into the role that different styles of tectonic uplift may play in the phenomenon of multiple terracing of coastal slopes.