Las terrazas marinas al sur de la isla de Tabarca (Alicante, SE España)

Laburpena

The Tabarca Island (Alicante, SE España) is characterized by its planar surface and its coastline of small cliffs. It is a high promontory emerged of the Santa Pola High formed by of Alpujarride Complex rocks and Upper Miocene sediments. The plain of the island is interpreted as a marine terrace formed during the 5e marine isotope stage (MIS) as remains of marine fauna indicate a tyrrhenian age. Today an erosional surface is developing, starting at the current coastline and reaching 7 m deep. Between 7 and 19 m deep, an erosional escarpment interpreted as originated during and after the 8.2 ka cold event. At the foot of the escarpment, between 15 and 25 m deep, the associated marine terrace develops. Finally, between 60 and 70 m deep other erosional escarpment is located, with a marine terrace to his foot, 70 m deep, which is interpreted as formed during the Younger Dryas cold period. Recent sediments mostly cover these last ones but, in some areas of the Santa Pola High, the escarpment still outcrops.