Fossil shorelines at Corfu and surrounding islands deduced from erosional notches

A new geomorphological study of the Old Town of Corfu and its surrounding islands reveals that fossil shorelines, marked by tidal notches, provide evidence of past sea-level changes and tectonic stability. The research identified a 'modern' tidal notch submerged at approximately -20 cm across all studied islands, indicating no significant vertical tectonic movements since its formation during the 19th and 20th centuries. Corfu shows distinct signs of both emergence and submergence due to ancient earthquakes, with notable displacements such as +130 ± 11 cm (dated around 790–400 cal. bc) and multiple submerged notches suggesting repeated coseismic subsidences. Paxoi and Antipaxoi exhibit primarily Holocene subsidence, with additional submerged tidal notches found at varying depths. This study combines field observations of erosional notches with geological analysis to reconstruct past sea-level positions and tectonic activity in the region.

Evelpidou, N., Karkani, A., & Pirazzoli, P. A. (2014). Fossil shorelines at Corfu and surrounding islands deduced from erosional notches. The Holocene, 24(11), 1565–1572. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683614544057