Uplift rates defined by U-series and C-14 ages of serpulid-encrusted speleothems from submerged caves near Siracusa, Sicily (Italy)

We have established a plausible rate of uplift near Siracusa in southeastern Sicily (Italy) over the last glacial-interglacial cycle using U-series ages of submerged speleothem calcite and C-14 ages of calcite serpulid layers that encrust the speleothems during cave submergence. The precisely determined ages of these sea level benchmarks were compared with expected relative sea level position based on glaciohydro-isostatic modeling to assess the rate of uplift in this region. When combined with the age of various late Holocene archaeological sites that have been recently described and characterized in terms of their functional position relative to sea level these data collectively define a rate of uplift <= 0.4 mm a(-1) along this portion of the Sicilian coastline. These results are consistent with an age assignment of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.3 or 5.5 for the Akradina terrace. which in turn places temporal constraints on paleoshorelines above and below this level. © 2008, Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

Sea level, Carbon 14, Sicily, Caves, Ground uplift, Underwater

Citation

Dutton, A., Scicchitano, G., Monaco, C., Desmarchelier, J. M., Antonioli, F., & Lambeck, K., Esat, T. M., Fifield, L. K., McCulloch, M. T., & Mortimer, G. (2009). Uplift rates defined by U-series and C-14 ages of serpulid-encrusted speleothems from submerged caves near Siracusa, Sicily (Italy). Quaternary Geochronology, 4(1), 2-10. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2008.06.003