The morphotectonic evolution of southern half of Kythira Island (Ionian sea, Greece) during the Quaternary

Kythira island is located between Peloponnese and Crete along the Hellenic island arc. The morpho tectonic study of this island could provide useful clues about the evolution of this area. The study focused on the southern part of the island where most of the characteristic landforms of uplift are found (terraces, gorges and notches). Large scale geomorphological mapping was performed in order to determine the most significant landforms of the area such as planation surfaces, marine terraces, gorges, knick points, cliffs and notches. It is concluded that the general morphology and evolution of the southern part of the island is depended primarily on the tectonic regime of the area which is exemplified by characteristic landforms in a series of well distinguished eight uplifted marine terraces on the eastern and six in the western part, marine notches and inclined planation surfaces, gorges and knick points indicating a continuous uplift of the island during the Quaternary. Finally, an average uplift rate of about 0.13 mm/yr for the Quaternary period is determined for the study area