SEDIMENTHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO THE POSTGLACIATION CLIMATE CHANGE IN SOUTHEAST BULGARIA

11th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM2011, www.sgem.org, SGEM2011 Conference Proceedings/ ISSN 1314-2704, June 20-25, 2011, Vol. 1, 259-264 pp

ABSTRACT

The most recent glacial period span in the interval 110,000 to 10,000 years ago. Recent
geomorphologic studies in the Eastern Thracian plane have shown significant change in
the sedimentation rates since the Younger Driass (between 10,800 and 9500 BC), which
may provide a new inside on the climatic evolution of the region. It was found that all
local rivers are in an aggradation phase, depositing up to 3 m thick mudstone deposits
on top of a colder climate’s well-washed, coarse sandstones. The aggradation resulted in
sediments covering or eroding some human settlements dated 1 500 – 1 200 BC, which
originally were built above the flooded river terraces but now are found in the lowest
flooded terrace.

Keywords: Holocene, river terrace, erosion, deposition, archeology, settlement.