Sedimentary development and correlation of Late Qu

Authors: Romesh N Palamakumbura Alastair H F Robertson Tim C Kinnaird David C W Sanderson

Publish Date: 2015/04/02

Volume: 105, Issue: 1, Pages: 439-462

PDF Link

Abstract

This study focuses on the younger of a series of Quaternary terraces along the flanks of the Kyrenia Range in northern Cyprus specifically the Kyrenia Girne and the Koupia terraces The Kyrenia Girne terrace is tentatively correlated with oxygen isotope stage 5 125 Ka and the Koupia terrace with oxygen isotope stage 3 50 Ka Along the northern flank of the range the Kyrenia Girne terrace deposits 5–20 m above modern sea level typically begin with a basal lag conglomerate and then pass upwards into shallowmarine calcarenites and then into variable aeolianites paleosols and fluvial deposits up to 20 m thick In contrast the Koupia terrace 2 m above modern sea level consists of aeolianites and shallowmarine calcarenites up to 8 m thick The equivalent deposits along the southern flank of the range are entirely nonmarine fluvial mud sands and conglomerates The marine to continental terrace systems can be tentatively correlated based on mapping height above modern sea level and sedimentary facies However variable preservation and patchy exposure require such correlations to be independently tested To achieve this a portable optically stimulated luminescence OSL reader was used to determine the luminescence characteristics of the two terrace systems Luminescence profiles show major differences in luminescence characteristics between the two terrace depositional systems which can be related to sedimentary processes provenance and age These features allow sections in different areas to be effectively correlated Individual sections show luminescence properties that are generally consistent with an expected upsequence decrease in age However the younger Koupia terrace deposits show higher luminescence intensities compared with the older Kyrenia Girne terrace deposits This can be explained by multiple phases of reworking of the Kyrenia Girne terrace deposits which changed the luminescence characteristics of the sediment The use of the portable OSL reader is therefore an effective means of correlating Late Quaternary terrace deposits in northern Cyprus and probably also elsewhere

Keywords: