The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology
The modern drainage systems of the fold and thrust belt of the external Hellenide orogen of NW Greece are principally orogen-parallel. Late Quaternary changes in river courses have resulted from neotectonic deformation associated with the Katouna–Stamna fault and with footwall uplift in developing t...
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/11/392 |
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| author | David J. W. Piper Georgia Pe-Piper |
| author_facet | David J. W. Piper Georgia Pe-Piper |
| author_sort | David J. W. Piper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The modern drainage systems of the fold and thrust belt of the external Hellenide orogen of NW Greece are principally orogen-parallel. Late Quaternary changes in river courses have resulted from neotectonic deformation associated with the Katouna–Stamna fault and with footwall uplift in developing transverse grabens. This study assesses the impact of neotectonic deformation on river patterns and basin deposition. River sands show differences in modal abundance and varietal geochemistry of heavy minerals and fine sand lithic clasts, determined by scanning electron microscope, that allow identification of past river supply to raised fluvial terrace and beach deposits. In the past 200 ka, footwall uplift south of developing grabens at Lake Trichonis and the Amvrakikos Gulf promoted orogen-transverse flow, diverting the Arachthos-Louros rivers to the west, causing reversal of drainage to the north in the lower reach of the Acheloos River. A raised terrace gravel south of Preveza records the southwestward flow of a large paleo-Arachthos river, confirmed by sand petrology in beaches farther south on the Echinadon Sea coast. The use of varietal heavy minerals and lithic clasts is a rapid and powerful tool for tracking tectonically-induced changes in river patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:03:59Z |
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| id | doaj.art-e54c5976dbb74b61a1aec39d120c7cc0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:03:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-e54c5976dbb74b61a1aec39d120c7cc02023-11-24T04:49:41ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632022-10-01121139210.3390/geosciences12110392The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital PetrologyDavid J. W. Piper0Georgia Pe-Piper1Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic), Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, CanadaDepartment of Geology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, CanadaThe modern drainage systems of the fold and thrust belt of the external Hellenide orogen of NW Greece are principally orogen-parallel. Late Quaternary changes in river courses have resulted from neotectonic deformation associated with the Katouna–Stamna fault and with footwall uplift in developing transverse grabens. This study assesses the impact of neotectonic deformation on river patterns and basin deposition. River sands show differences in modal abundance and varietal geochemistry of heavy minerals and fine sand lithic clasts, determined by scanning electron microscope, that allow identification of past river supply to raised fluvial terrace and beach deposits. In the past 200 ka, footwall uplift south of developing grabens at Lake Trichonis and the Amvrakikos Gulf promoted orogen-transverse flow, diverting the Arachthos-Louros rivers to the west, causing reversal of drainage to the north in the lower reach of the Acheloos River. A raised terrace gravel south of Preveza records the southwestward flow of a large paleo-Arachthos river, confirmed by sand petrology in beaches farther south on the Echinadon Sea coast. The use of varietal heavy minerals and lithic clasts is a rapid and powerful tool for tracking tectonically-induced changes in river patterns.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/11/392neotectonicsriversdetrital petrologyvarietal heavy mineralsfluvial terracesprovenance |
| spellingShingle | David J. W. Piper Georgia Pe-Piper The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology Geosciences neotectonics rivers detrital petrology varietal heavy minerals fluvial terraces provenance |
| title | The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology |
| title_full | The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology |
| title_fullStr | The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology |
| title_short | The Response of the Rivers of NW Greece to Late Quaternary Neotectonics, as Interpreted from Detrital Petrology |
| title_sort | response of the rivers of nw greece to late quaternary neotectonics as interpreted from detrital petrology |
| topic | neotectonics rivers detrital petrology varietal heavy minerals fluvial terraces provenance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/11/392 |
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