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This paper presents numerical dating from a Middle to Late Pleistocene terrace deposit sequence in the Solent Basin, southern England. The sequence from the western part of the former Solent river system is one of the longest in Britain, with 18 mapped terrace aggradations. A set of 23 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates aim to provide dated tie-points within the lower part of the sequence at five stratotype locations. These dates are replicated at single sites, providing age estimates for fewer members, but increasing the reliability for those members that have been dated. The results provide two reliably dated tie-points within the sequence and suggest that (i) the lowest six terrace aggradations all postdate ca. 275 kyr (MIS 8), (ii) terraces may have aggraded during cold phases within the penultimate interglacial (MIS 7) and (iii) the interglacial deposits at Stone Point whose age has previously been contested are likely to be of Ipswichian (last interglacial, MIS 5e) age. These findings are compared to previous age models in the western Solent basin, with which they agree in part. They may suggest that fluvial activity in the Solent was particularly dynamic during MIS 7.

In order to investigate the deformation within the upper plate of the Calabrian subduction zone, we have mapped and modeled a sequence of Late Quaternary paleoshorelines tectonically deformed by the Capo D'Orlando normal fault, NE Sicily, which forms part of the actively deforming Calabrian Arc. In addition to the 1908 Messina Strait earthquake (M w 7.1), this region has experienced damaging earthquakes, possibly on the Capo D'Orlando Fault; however, it is not considered by some to be a potential seismogenic source. Uplifted Quaternary paleoshorelines are preserved on the hangingwall of the Capo D'Orlando Fault, indicating that hangingwall subsidence is counteracted by regional uplift, likely because of deformation associated with subduction/collision. We attempt to constrain the relationship between regional uplift, crustal extensional processes, and historical seismicity, and we quantify both the normal and regional deformation signals. We report uplift variations along the strike of the fault and use a synchronous correlation technique to assign ages to paleoshorelines, facilitating calculation of uplift rates and the fault throw rate. Uplift rates in the hangingwall increase from 0.4 mm/year in the center of the fault to 0.89 mm/year beyond its SW fault tip, suggesting 0.5 mm/year of fault-related subsidence, which implies a throw rate of 0.63 ± 0.02 mm/year, and significant seismic hazard. Overall, we emphasize that upper plate extension and related vertical motions complicate the process of deriving information on the subduction/collision process, such as coupling and slip distribution on the subduction interface, parameters that are commonly inferred for other subduction zones without considering upper plate deformation.

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