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 River coastal plain (Salerno Gulf, southern Italy) was investigated through integrated stratigraphical, chronological and palaeoecological analyses. The main environmental changes were ascribed to glacio-eustatic variations leading to rapid ingressions alternating with coastal progradations. The marked marine ingression of MIS 5.5 is testified by palaeoridges now cropping out 4 km inland at 11/13 m a.s.l. (Gromola palaeoridge). The eustatic minimum of MIS 2 is testified by lower shoreface deposits in the offshore core record and in the seismic profiles at 120/130 m below sea level. This prolonged sea-level fall was interrupted by at least three rapid sea-level rises, probably related to MIS 5.3, 5.1 and 3. The evidence of the first two sea level rises are represented by shoreface deposits in the inland S1 core (30 m thick, 3 m a.s.l., 1.5 km inland). The highstand of MIS 3 was identified by seismic profiles as onlapping marine deposits. The shore deposits at 100 m b.s.l were tentatively attributed to the lowstand of MIS 4. After the lowstand of MIS 2, the Sele Plain was newly flooded due to the rapid Post Glacial sea-level rise. This ingression caused the inland migration of a barrier-lagoon system and stopped at approximately 5.5 ky BP. From that moment the shoreline started prograding up to the present position probably 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, also recorded in the subbottom chirp profiles.