New evidence of Holocene coastal uplift in the Strophades Islets (W Hellenic Arc, Greece)

The Strophades Islets (Ionian Sea) correspond to a 2 km-thick evaporitic diapir formed due to compression along the western part of the Aegean Arc in the last 5 Ma. Field observations and radiometric dating indicate that the only clear evidence of Holocene vertical movement in these islets is an approximately 2 m vertical displacement which occurred about 1560 years ago, while the traces of the 10 cm uplift of a 1997 earthquake, and possibly of other earthquakes which have produced minor uplifts, are not preserved. A mean uplift rate of 0.8 mm/yr for the last 2500 years, and possibly of 0.1 mm/yr since the last Interglacial, are inferred This indicates a high contrast between strong deformation over the long-term and small uplift during the Holocene and possibly also since the last Interglacial, in agreement with results of seismological and tectonophysical studies.