Marine Terraces

A marine terrace is any relatively flat, horizontal, or gently inclined surface of marine origin, bounded by a steeper ascending slope on one side and by a steeper descending slope on the opposite side. In temperate regions, marine terraces often result from marine erosion (abrasion or denudation) (marine-cut terraces, or shore platforms) or consist of shallow-water to slightly emerged accumulations of materials removed by shore erosion (marine-built terraces). In intertropical regions they may also result from bioconstruction by coral reefs and accumulation of reef materials (reef flats).

The development of a series of elevated, stepped marine terraces usually corresponds to the superimposition of eustatic changes in sea level and of a tectonic uplifting trend. Uplifted terraces act in this case as a continuous tape recorder, each step developing when the rising sea level overtakes the rising land. Each raised terrace, eventually capped by marine and/or alluvial materials, is a fossil...