Quaternary marine terraces as indicators of neotectonic activity of the Ierapetra normal fault SE Crete (Greece)

Along the southern coast of the island of Crete, a series of east–west oriented Late Pleistocene marine terraces exist, demonstrating the significant coastal uplift of this area. Five uplifted terraces were mapped in detail and correlated with Middle–Late Pleistocene sea-level stands following the global sea-level fluctuations. These terraces are deformed by the vertical movements of the NNE–SSW trending and dipping west Ierapetra normal fault. The elevation of the inner edges of the terraces was estimated at several sites by using aerial photographs and detailed topographic maps and diagrams, supported by extensive field observations. In this way detailed geomorphological maps were constructed utilizing GIS technology. ese allowed us to obtain rates of 0.3 mm/yr for the regional component of uplift and 0.1 mm/yr for the vertical slip movements of the Ierapetra fault. Based on the obtained rates and the existence of coastal archaeological Roman ruins it is concluded that Ierapetra fault should have been reactivated sometime after the Roman period.