Movement of the Adria microplate is one of the main elements for understanding crustal deformations in the central Mediterranean and central Europe. To study present-day tectonics in Adria and the nature of its boundary relative to those of the Africa and Eurasia plates, three GPS (Global Positioning System) campaigns involving 41 stations were carried out within CRODYN (the Croatian and Slovene Geodynamic Network). Movement of stations derived in the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 1996 (ITRF96) with respect to the permanent ITRF/IGS (International GPS Service) station GRAZ in Austria, located north of the network, and values of the principal strain rates determined on the basis of analytical surface deformation theory suggest that Adria is divided into three different deformation zones (northern, central, and southern). The domain of northeastern Italy moves 5 mm/yr in an east-northeast direction. The stations in southwestern Slovenia move 3–7 mm/yr in a north-northwest direction, whereas those in southern and northeastern Istria move 4–5 mm/yr in a more easterly direction. The greatest movement (8–10 mm/yr) occurs in central Adria between the Gargano zone and the central Dinarides; there, the movement is northeast-oriented. A fragmentation of Adria into subblocks linking the Gragano zone to the central Dinarides cannot be clearly demonstrated. The southeastern part of Adria, along the coastline of Albania, moves 5–7 mm/yr in an almost east-west direction, and eastern Albania moves 6 mm/yr in an east-southeast direction. The permanent ITRF/IGS stations POTS and WTZR in Germany, BOR1 in Poland, and PENC in Hungary demonstrate no significant movement. The movement of the stations discussed here differs very clearly from the known north-west motion of the Africa plate and suggests that Adria is an independent microplate.

Abstract The Mediterranean basin is an important area of the Earth for studying the interplay between geodynamic processes and landscape evolution affected by tectonic, glacio-hydro-isostatic and eustatic factors. We focus on determining vertical deformations and relative sea-level change of the coastal zone utilizing geological, archaeological, historical and instrumental data, and modelling. For deformation determinations on recent decadal to centennial time scales, seismic strain analysis based on about 6000 focal mechanisms, surface deformation analysis based on some 850 continuous GPS stations, and 57 tide gauge records were used. Utilizing data from tectonically stable areas, reference surfaces were established to separate tectonic and climate (eustatic) signals throughout the basin for the last 20 000 years. Predominant Holocene subsidence (west coast of Italy, northern Adriatic sea, most of Greece and Turkey are areas at risk of flooding owing to relative sea-level rise), uplift (local areas in southwestern Italy and southern Greece) or stability (northwestern and central western Mediterranean and Levant area) were determined. Superimposed on the long trends, the coasts are also impacted by sudden extreme events such as recurring large storms and numerous, but unpredictable tsunamis caused by the high seismicity of parts of the basins. Supplementary material: A table of locations and timings of the largest tsunamis in the Mediterranean during the last 5660 years BP is available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18757 .