@article {645, title = {Sea-level changes and depositional environments in the Izmit Gulf, eastern Marmara Sea, during the late glacial-Holocene period}, journal = {Marine Geology}, volume = {202}, year = {2003}, note = {749gpTimes Cited:52Cited References Count:30}, month = {Nov 30}, pages = {159-173}, abstract = {Offshore and onshore stratigraphic studies, together with high-resolution shallow seismic reflection profiling and multibeam bathymetric mapping, were carried out in the western and central part of the Izmit Gulf. These studies indicate that the Izmit Gulf was a lacustrine environment as part of the Marmara {\textquoteright}Lake{\textquoteright} during the late glaciation and early deglaciation until similar to12 kyr BP, when the Marmara Basin was inundated by the Mediterranean waters. Correlation of C-14-dated onshore and offshore stratigraphic units in the Western Izmit Gulf indicates that generally coarse late glacial sediments overlie a marked erosional surface formed during the low water level of the Marmara {\textquoteright}Lake{\textquoteright}. These coarse sediments are succeeded by 10.4-7 kyr BP old transgressive, and by late Holocene post-transgression mud units. The bathymetry and sub-bottom Chirp profiles clearly show that the paleoshoreline of the Gulf was located at -85 m, having been controlled by the bedrock sill depth of the Canakkale Strait. Another paleoshoreline observed at -65 m on the northern margin of the Western Izmit and Karamursel basins was probably formed during the Younger Dryas sea-level stillstand. The shelf areas during this time were colonized by bioherms, which were subsequently drowned and disappeared after a further rise of the sea level. The presence of a -65 in marine paleoshoreline in the Karamursel Basin indicates that the sill restricting this basin to the west was much deeper than its present -55 in level and was located further south. The Golcuk Basin, restricted by a -38 in sill to its west, was probably not flooded by marine waters until similar to9 kyr BP. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.}, issn = {0025-3227}, doi = {10.1016/S0025-3227(03)00259-7}, author = {Cagatay, M. N. and Gorur, N. and Polonia, A. and Demirbag, E. and Sakinc, M. and Cormier, M. H. and Capotondi, L. and McHugh, C. and Emre, O. and Eris, K.} }