ORCID
- Martin Stokes: 0000-0003-3788-4615
Abstract
This study presents a detailed geomorphological and geochronological analysis of a marine terrace staircase developed into the Peniche Peninsula (Portugal), a rocky headland of Jurassic carbonate bedrock located in the central sector of the Western Iberian passive margin. The marine terrace levels are described morphologically and sedimentologically, but also dated using ESR and U-Series methodologies. The marine terrace staircase comprises six emerged levels ranging from 4 m (above mean sea level, asl) (Tm6) to 24–28 m asl (Tm1), inset into a summit wave-cut platform at 29–45 m asl (Pm). The marine terrace sediments are composed of rounded boulders to cobbles and coarse sands. Dating results reveal that the marine terrace staircase spans ∼900 ka across the Middle-Late Pleistocene. The terraces can be assigned to either a single sea-level highstand or a level that has been re-occupied by two sea level highstands. The staircase records very low uplift rates (0.04 to −0.02 m/ka; the longer-term mean rate for the entire Pleistocene staircase is 0.03 m/ka), typical of a passive continental margin. Regionally, coastal terrace staircases are typically found along the Western Iberian passive margin, with their configuration locally influenced by the underlying bedrock geology and tectonic history.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2025-10-15
Publication Title
Quaternary International
Volume
747
ISSN
1040-6182
Acceptance Date
2025-08-17
Deposit Date
2025-09-16
Funding
This study had the support of national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia , I. P., under the projects UIDB/04292/2020, UIDP/04292/2020 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04292/2020 , https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/04292/2020 ) MARE Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre ; LA/P/0069/2020 ( https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0069/2020 ) ARNET - Aquatic Research Network ), and UID/GEO/04683/2020 — ICT; UIDB/04084/2020 (CEGOT) – Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning , (ii) a PhD Scholarship (SFRH/BD/116038/2016) attributed to Maria Margarida Porto Gouveia, a research contract (IF/01075/2013) to T. Pereira and a Sabbatical grant (ref. SFRH/BSAB/150395/2019) hold by Pedro P. Cunha (Programa Operacional Capital Humano). This work was also co-funded by a project (research grant) under the Programme Pessoa 2019 – Cooperation Portugal/France.
Keywords
Coastal uplift, ESR dating, Iberian Peninsula, Marine terraces, Pleistocene, Portugal
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Gouveia, M., Cunha, P., Martins, A., Stokes, M., Gomes, A., Falguères, C., Voinchet, P., Bahain, J., Pereira, T., Figueiredo, S., Shao, Q., & Tombret, O. (2025) 'Plio-Quaternary coastal uplift along the western Iberian Margin: insights from dated marine terraces (Peniche, Portugal)', Quaternary International, 747. Available at: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109954
