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HERO ID
6769625
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Multiple late-Holocene tsunami landfall in the eastern Gulf of Corinth recorded in the palaeotsunami geo-archive at Lechaion, harbour of ancient Corinth (Peloponnese, Greece)
Author(s)
Hadler, H; Voett, A; Koster, B; Mathes-Schmidt, M; Mattern, T; Ntageretzis, K; Reicherter, K; Willershaeuser, T
Year
2013
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Zeitschrift fuer Geomorphologie
ISSN:
0372-8854
Volume
57
Page Numbers
139-180
DOI
10.1127/0372-8854/2013/S-00138
Web of Science Id
WOS:000329550800007
Abstract
In this paper, we present geomorphological and geo-scientific evidence of repeated tsunami impact on Lechaion, the harbour of ancient Corinth (Peloponnese, Greece) and adjacent coastal zones of the Gulf of Corinth. Due to extensive fault systems, the seismic activity in the Gulf of Corinth is high and often related to landslides or submarine mass movements. Thus, the study area is strongly exposed to tsunami hazard. Geo-morphological, sedimentological, geoarchaeological, geochemical and microfaunal studies as well as geophysical methods revealed evidence of multiple palaeotsunami landfall at the harbour site and surrounding coastal area. Tsunami signatures include coarse-grained, sandy to gravelly allochthonous marine sediments intersecting silt-dominated quiescent harbour deposits, geo-archaeological destruction layers as well as extensive units of beachrock-type calcarenitic tsunamites. A local event-geochronostratigraphy was established by radiocarbon dating and geoarchaeological findings. Our results suggest that Lechaion was hit by strong tsunami impacts in the 8th-6th century BC, the 1st-2nd century AD and in the 6th century AD. The youngest event obviously led to the final destruction of harbour facilities and the early Christian harbour basilica.
Keywords
palaeotsunami; ancient harbour; beach rock; Gulf of Corinth; coastal geoarchaeology
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