Skip to main content

Malta’s Submerged Landscapes and Landforms

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands

Abstract

The application of acoustic techniques, such as multibeam echosounders , has permitted the identification of Maltese submarine landscapes and landforms that were progressively inundated during the postglacial sea-level rise . Remarkably, geomorphological features due to fluvial, gravity-induced and karst processes that took place under former subaerial conditions can be clearly recognised on the present seafloor around the Maltese archipelago, and they were only slightly modified by sea action during the postglacial transgression phases. The analysis of the submerged landforms described in this chapter is crucial for understanding the evolution of the Maltese Islands during the last ca. 20,000 years.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alexander D (1988) A review of the physical geography of Malta and its significance for tectonic geomorphology. Quatern Sci Rev 7(1):41–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angeletti L, Foglini F, Galve JP, Micallef A, Pasuto A, Prampolini M, Soldati M, Taviani M, Tonelli C (2012) Linking coastal and seafloor morphological features along the eastern side of the Maltese archipelago. In: Benincasa F (ed) Atti del Quarto Simposio Internazionale “Il Monitoraggio Costiero Mediterraneo: problematiche e tecniche di misura”—Livorno, 12–14 June 2012. CNR—Istituto di Biometeorologia, Firenze, pp 237–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey GN, Flemming NC (2008) Archaeology of the continental shelf: marine resources, submerged landscapes and underwater archaeology. Quatern Sci Rev 27:2153–2165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldassini N, Di Stefano A (2017) Stratigraphic features of the Maltese Archipelago: a synthesis. Nat Hazards 86(2):203–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biolchi S, Furlani S, Devoto S, Gauci R, Castaldini D, Soldati M (2016) Geomorphological identification, classification and spatial distribution of coastal landforms of Malta (Mediterranean Sea). J Maps 12(1):87–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calleja I, Tonelli C (2019) Dwejra and Maqluba: emblematic sinkholes in the Maltese Islands. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands, Springer, Switzerland, pp 129–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu NC, McDonough N (2014) Land Beneath the Waves: Submerged landscapes and sea level change. A joint geoscience-humanities strategy for European Continental Shelf Prehistoric Research. Position Paper 21 of the European Marine Board, Ostend, Belgium

    Google Scholar 

  • Devoto S, Biolchi S, Bruschi VM, Furlani S, Mantovani M, Piacentini D, Pasuto A, Soldati M (2012) Geomorphological map of the NW Coast of the Island of Malta (Mediterranean Sea). J Maps 8(1):33–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Devoto S, Biolchi S, Bruschi VM, González Díez A, Mantovani M, Pasuto A, Piacentini D, Schembri JA, Soldati M (2013) Landslides along the North-West Coast of the island of Malta. In: Margottini C, Canuti P, Sassa K (eds) Landslide science and practice, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 57–63

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Drago AF (1997) Hydrographic measurements in the north western coastal area of Malta. Xjenza 2:6–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Emelyanov EM, Shimkus KM (1986) Geochemistry and sedimentology of the Mediterranean Sea. Riedel Publishing Co., Dordrecht, 553p

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • ERDF LIDAR data (2012) ERDF156 Developing National Environ mental Monitoring Infrastructure and Capacity. Malta Environment and Planning Authority

    Google Scholar 

  • Foglini F, Prampolini M, Micallef A, Angeletti L, Vandelli V, Deidun A, Soldati M, Taviani M (2016) Late Quaternary coastal landscape morphology and evolution of the Maltese Islands (Mediterranean Sea) reconstructed from high-resolution seafloor data. In: Harff J, Bailey G, Lüth F (eds) Geology and Archaeology: Submerged Landscapes of the Continental Shelf. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 411, 77–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furlani S, Antonioli F, Biolchi S, Gambin T, Gauci R, Lo Presti V, Anzidei M, Devoto S, Palombo M, Sulli A (2013) Holocene sea level change in Malta. Quatern Int 288:146–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galea P (2019) Central Mediterranean tectonics—a key player in the geomorphology of the Maltese Islands. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands, Springer, Switzerland, pp 19–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Galve JP, Tonelli C, Gutiérrez F, Lugli S, Vescogni A, Soldati M (2015) New insights into the genesis of the Miocene collapse structures of the island of Gozo (Malta, central Mediterranean Sea). J Geol Soc 172:336–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gauci R, Inkpen R (2019) The physical characteristics of limestone shore platforms on the Maltese Islands and their neglected contribution to coastal land use development. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 343–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Gauci R, Scerri S (2019) A synthesis of different geomorphological landscapes on the Maltese Islands. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 49–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambeck K, Antonioli F, Anzidei M, Ferranti L, Leoni G, Silenzi S (2011) Sea level change along the Italian coasts during Holocene and prediction for the future. Quatern Int 232:250–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marriner N, Gambin T, Djamali M, Morhange C, Spiteri M (2012) Geoarchaeology of the Burmarrad ria and early Holocene human impacts in western Malta. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 339–341:52–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Micallef A, Foglini F, Le Bas T, Angeletti L, Maselli V, Pasuto A, Taviani M (2013) The submerged paleolandscape of the Maltese Islands: morphology evolution and relation to Quaternary environmental change. Mar Geol 335:129–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Micallef A, Camerlenghi A, Georgiopoulou A, Garcia-Castellanos D, Gutscher M-A, Lo Iacono C, Huvenne VAI, Mountjoy JJ, Paull CK, Le Bas T, Spatola D, Facchin L, Accettella D (2019) Geomorphic evolution of the Malta Escarpment and implications for the Messinian evaporative drawdown in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Geomorphology 327:264–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedley HM (2011) The Calabrian Stage, Pleistocene highstand in Malta: A new marker for unravellying the Late Neogene and Quaternary history of the islands. J Geol Soc 168:913–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedley M, Clarke MH, Galea P (2002) Limestone isles in a crystal sea: the geology of the Maltese Islands. Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG), San Gwann, Malta, 109p

    Google Scholar 

  • Prampolini M, Foglini F, Biolchi S, Devoto S, Angelini S, Soldati M (2017) Integrated geomorphological map of emerged and submerged areas of northern Malta and Comino (central Mediterranean Sea). J Maps 13(2):457–469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prampolini M, Blondel PH, Foglini F, Madricardo F (2018) Habitat mapping of the Maltese continental shelf using acoustic textures and bathymetric analyses. Estuarine, Coast Shelf Sci 208:483–498

    Google Scholar 

  • Putz-Perrier MW, Sanderson DJ (2010) Distribution of faults and extensional strain in fractured carbonates of the North Malta Graben. AAPG Bull 9(4):435–456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rear-Admiral Haslam DW (1983) Mediterranean Sea, Maltese Islands—Malta 1:50,000. Crown Copyright, Taunton

    Google Scholar 

  • Reuther CD, Eisbacher GH (1985) Pantelleria rift-crustal extension in a convergent intraplate setting. Geol Rundsch 74:585–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sammut S, Gauci R, Inkpen R, Lewis JJ, Gibson A (2019) Selmun: a coastal limestone landscape enriched by scenic landforms, conservation status and religious significance. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 325–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Scerri S (2019) Sedimentary evolution and resultant geological landscapes. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 31–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Schembri JA, Spiteri SC (2019) By Gentlemen for gentlemen—Ria coastal landforms and the fortified imprints of Valletta and its harbours. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 69–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddall M, Rohling EJ, Almogi-Labin A, Hemleben C, Meischner D, Schmelzer I, Smeed DA (2003) Sea-level fluctuations during the last glacial cycle. Nature 423:853–858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soldati M, Tonelli C, Galve JP (2013) Geomorphological evolution of palaeo-sinkhole features in the Maltese archipelago (Mediterranean Sea). Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria 36:189–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Soldati M, Barrows, TT, Prampolini M, Fifield KL (2018) Cosmogenic exposure dating constraints for coastal landslide evolution on the Island of Malta (Mediterranean Sea). J Coast Conserv 22(5):831–844

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soldati M, Devoto S, Prampolini M, Pasuto A (2019) The spectacular landslide-controlled landscape of the northwestern coast of Malta. In: Gauci R, Schembri JA (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. Springer, Switzerland, pp 167–178

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mariacristina Prampolini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Prampolini, M., Foglini, F., Micallef, A., Soldati, M., Taviani, M. (2019). Malta’s Submerged Landscapes and Landforms. In: Gauci, R., Schembri, J. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15456-1_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics