ABSTRACT An ~10-m-thick sequence of Quaternary eolian sands from the island of Vis (Croatia) was investigated with the aim to unravel and understand their origin, characteristics, and age. The sand deposit is situated in a karstic depression in the eastern part of the island at an altitude of ~100 m above sea level (a.s.l.), and it is composed of a subhorizontally laminated unit at the bottom underlying a cross-bedded unit. The sand is very well sorted and fine grained and composed predominantly of carbonate lithic fragments, which most likely originated from the Dinaric karst region. The siliciclastic component of these sands reflects a more complex lithological source, including older sedimentary (e.g., flysch successions in the area, as well as older Quaternary deposits), magmatic, and metamorphic rocks probably originating from the Inner Dinarides, which were eroded and comminuted by glacial and periglacial activity during the last glacial period, and transported toward the Adriatic foreland by major rivers such as the Cetina and Neretva. Grain size and shape characteristics of the sands as well as their sedimentary structure indicate their eolian origin. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to determine the depositional age of the sediment. The obtained ages can be correlated to the Last Glacial Maximum (oxygen isotope stage [OIS] 2), implying that during the peak of that glaciation, the central Adriatic basin was dry land, a vast plain exposed to eolian deflation.

Abstract Rock coasts and shore platforms are conspicuous landforms along the Mediterranean and Black Sea (MBS) coasts. These coasts have been fashioned by changes in sea level because of vertical movements of the land and variations in eustatic and isostatic sea-level. For this reason, the Quaternary evolution of MBS coasts has been extensively studied, even starting from geomorphological markers, while very few researches have addressed the processes related to their origin and evolution. Despite most of the Mediterranean coast being rocky, studies about rocky shore processes are almost completely lacking, except for limited areas. Data on sea cliff retreats have mainly been collected to study the susceptibility of cliff failures or to prevent landslides, in particular along shores used for tourism. Data on erosion rates and processes on shore platforms are generally scarce and restricted to limestone bedrocks. In this paper, we summarize the results of studies of rates and processes of rocky coasts of the countries overlooking the Mediterranean and Black Seas and review the current knowledge concerning rock coasts in the MBS area.