Evolution of the Sele River coastal plain (southern Italy) during the Late Quaternary by inland and offshore stratigraphical analyses

The late Quaternary evolution of the Sele Rivercoastal plain (Salerno Gulf, southern Italy) was investigatedthrough integrated stratigraphical, chronological andpalaeoecological analyses. The main environmental changeswere ascribed to glacio-eustatic variations leading torapid ingressions alternating with coastal progradations.The marked marine ingression of MIS 5.5 is testified bypalaeoridges now cropping out 4 km inland at 11/13 ma.s.l. (Gromola palaeoridge). The eustatic minimum of MIS2 is testified by lower shoreface deposits in the offshorecore record and in the seismic profiles at 120/130 m belowsea level. This prolonged sea-level fall was interrupted byat least three rapid sea-level rises, probably related to MIS5.3, 5.1 and 3. The evidence of the first two sea level risesare represented by shoreface deposits in the inland S1 core(30 m thick, 3 m a.s.l., 1.5 km inland). The highstand ofMIS 3 was identified by seismic profiles as onlappingmarine deposits. The shore deposits at 100 m b.s.l weretentatively attributed to the lowstand of MIS 4. After thelowstand of MIS 2, the Sele Plain was newly flooded due tothe rapid Post Glacial sea-level rise. This ingression causedthe inland migration of a barrier-lagoon system and stoppedat approximately 5.5 ky BP. From that moment theshoreline started prograding up to the present positionprobably due to the decrease in the sea-level rise rates and to the volcaniclastic supplies from the Neapolitan volcanoes,especially from the AD 79 Vesuvius eruption, alsorecorded in the subbottom chirp profiles.