Open AccessIn search of marine terraces from Central Dobrogea (Casimcea Plateau, Western Black Sea). Preliminary inquires on distribution, extension and vertical crustal movements
Author(s) -
Alexandru Berbecariu,
Alfred VespremeanuStroe
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
revista de geomorfologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2285-6773
pISSN - 1453-5068
DOI - 10.21094/rg.2020.100
Subject(s) - geology , plateau (mathematics) , transect , sea level , fault (geology) , elevation (ballistics) , altitude (triangle) , geomorphology , physical geography , paleontology , oceanography , geography , mathematical analysis , mathematics , geometry
Casimcea Plateau is an uplifted (exhumated) peneplain cut in Proterozoic green–schists and one of the oldest tectonic units around the Black Sea. Despite its overall monotonous physiognomy, the plateau is crossed by Casimcea Valley and presents a seaward façade to the east which preserves (sub)horizontal surfaces as testimonies of the paleoenvironmental changes (sea level and climate). This research aims to identify the marine and fluvio–marine terraces and to define their vertical distribution based on the morphometric analysis of two study sites (north – Ceamurlia; south – Tașaul Lake) using EU-DEM. 6 levels were identified as possible marine terraces within the 2–50 m altitude range and also some inferences were made concerning the age of the lower three levels. Also, the present work highlights a differential (stronger) uplift of the northern sector between Peceneaga – Camena and Ostrov – Sinoe faults reflected by both the elevation difference of 5–6 m between the terraces staircases identified at the two sites and by the elevation gaps analysed on an array of cross-fault transects carried on over Ostrov – Sinoe fault.