Geomorphological map of the NW Coast of the Island of Malta (Mediterranean Sea)

Devoto, Stefano; Biolchi, Sara; Bruschi, Viola María; Furlani, Stefano; Mantovani, Matteo; Piacentini, Daniela; Pasuto, Alessandro; Soldati, Mauro

doi:10.1080/17445647.2012.668425

Cited by 54 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This difference in the coastal morphology is linked to the development of a northeastwards tilting in response to the fault system activity, also responsible for the forcing of the surface waters in a WSW-ENE direction and the formation of NE-oriented fluvial valleys (Alexander, 1988;Biolchi et al, 2016). Wide sectors of NW coast of Malta are characterised by the presence of extensive landslides, mainly rock spreads and block slides (Devoto et al, 2012(Devoto et al, , 2013Piacentini et al, 2015). These slow-moving landslides detach and move hundreds of limestone blocks from the karst plateaus towards the sea, forming peculiar coastal landforms named "rdum" by locals.…”

Section: The Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Boulder accumulations related to extreme wave events on the eastern coast of Malta

Biolchi

Furlani

Antonioli

et al. 2016

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. The accumulation of large boulders related to waves generated by either tsunamis or extreme storm events have been observed in different areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Along the eastern low-lying rocky coasts of Malta, five sites with large boulder deposits have been investigated, measured and mapped. These boulders have been detached and moved from the nearshore and the lowest parts of the coast by sea wave action. In the Sicily-Malta channel, heavy storms are common and originate from the NE and NW winds. Conversely, few tsunamis have been recorded in historical documents to have reached the Maltese archipelago.We present a multi-disciplinary study, which aims to define the characteristics of these boulder accumulations, in order to assess the coastal geo-hazard implications triggered by the sheer ability of extreme waves to detach and move large rocky blocks inland.The wave heights required to transport 77 coastal boulders were calculated using various hydrodynamic equations. Particular attention was given to the quantification of the input parameters required in the workings of these equations, such as size, density and distance from the coast. In addition, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C ages were determined from selected samples of marine organisms encrusted on some of the coastal boulders. The combination of the results obtained both by the hydrodynamic equations, which provided values comparable with those observed and measured during the storms, and radiocarbon dating suggests that the majority of the boulders have been detached and moved by intense storm waves. These boulders testify to the existence of a real hazard for the coasts of Malta, i.e. that of very high storm waves, which, during exceptional storms, are able to detach large blocks of volumes exceeding 10 m 3 from the coastal edge and the nearshore bottom, and also to transport them inland. Nevertheless, the occurrence of one or more tsunami events cannot be ruled out, since radiocarbon dating of some marine organisms did reveal ages which may be related to historically known tsunamis in the Mediterranean region, such as the ones in AD 963, 1329, 1693 and 1743.

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Section: The Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Boulder accumulations related to extreme wave events on the eastern coast of Malta

Biolchi

Furlani

Antonioli

et al. 2016

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…In the northern part of the archipelago, the WSW-ENE fault system is responsible for a horst-and-graben structure that extends from the Great Fault to SE Gozo (Illies 1981;Alexander 1988;Devoto et al 2012). Here, the landscape is characterized by ridges and plateaus made up of Upper Coralline Limestone alternating with valleys locally filled by alluvial sediments.…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The tilting, the fault systems and the different mechanical properties of the rocks (limestones v. clays) control the geomorphology of the Maltese Islands (Alexander 1988;Magri 2006;Devoto et al 2012;Biolchi et al 2015). In the northern part of the archipelago, the WSW-ENE fault system is responsible for a horst-and-graben structure that extends from the Great Fault to SE Gozo (Illies 1981;Alexander 1988;Devoto et al 2012).…”

Section: Regional Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Quaternary coastal landscape morphology and evolution of the Maltese Islands (Mediterranean Sea) reconstructed from high-resolution seafloor data

Foglini

Prampolini

Micallef

et al. 2015

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Abstract:The current strong motivation to explore those traces of the archaeological and prehistoric human heritage that presently lie submerged on the continental shelf requires large-scale and precise underwater mapping. One Mediterranean sector deserving particular attention is the Sicily Channel, which is critical for a better understanding of the Africa-Europe migratory routes and early civilization patterns due to its large expanses of shallow seabed that were partially or totally exposed at times of lower relative sea levels. We have focused our attention on the submerged continental margin of the Maltese archipelago. A detailed bathymetric map is here presented, and is discussed in terms of features interpretable as former subaerial landforms and inundated by sealevel rise following the Last Glacial Maximum lowstand at approximately -130 m. Our datasets combine multibeam surveys, Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR)-derived digital terrain models (DTMs), Chirp sub-bottom profiler records and bottom samples acquired between 2009 and 2012. The main features identified are former river incisions, alluvial plains, karst landscapes (sinkholes, limestone plateaus), slide deposits and palaeoshorelines. This study provides a detailed topographical reconstruction of the palaeolandscape of this key region that is relevant to any future archaeological exploration of the Maltese offshore area.

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“…In the first research stages, emerged coastal landslides were identified, mapped [4] and monitored [3] along the north-west coast of the Island of Malta. Further on, the research moved underwater to investigate the continental shelf.…”

Section: Emerged and Submerged Landslide Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomorphological evolution of coastal landslides in Malta: integration of terrestrial and marine datasets

Soldati¹,

Prampolini²,

Vandelli³

2017

Proceedings of the 33rd Romanian Geomorphology Symposium

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Abstract-The paper shows the main results of multidisciplinary research carried out in the Island of Malta aiming at the integration of terrestrial and marine datasets. Identification, mapping, monitoring and dating of landsides, including submerged ones, have enabled to define a time frame for the development of landslides and to reconstruct the geomorphological evolution of the investigated areas. This has provided useful means for landslide susceptibility and hazard mapping, which is crucial for north-west coast of Malta.

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Geomorphological map of the NW Coast of the Island of Malta (Mediterranean Sea)

Cited by 54 publications

References 8 publications

Boulder accumulations related to extreme wave events on the eastern coast of Malta

Boulder accumulations related to extreme wave events on the eastern coast of Malta

Late Quaternary coastal landscape morphology and evolution of the Maltese Islands (Mediterranean Sea) reconstructed from high-resolution seafloor data

Geomorphological evolution of coastal landslides in Malta: integration of terrestrial and marine datasets

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