LOGO_Orange_2.jpg

COSMO2026 : The 7th conference on cosmogenic nuclides

 15-19 June 2026 Aix en Provence (France)

Denudation rates of carbonate coasts: insights from in situ cosmogenic 36Cl from Cuban coastal terraces
Denovan Chauveau  1, *@  , Pedro Dunán-Avila  1@  , Christine Authemayou  1@  , Kevin Pedoja  2@  , Leandro Peñalver-Hernández  3@  , Pedro Benítez-Frometa  4@  , Arelis Nuñez-Labañino  3@  , Edwige Pons-Branchu  4@  , Alexino Progam  4@  , Hassan Ross-Cabrera  5@  , Angel Raúl Rodríguez-Valdés  6@  , Irene Schimmelpfennig  7@  , Aster Team  7@  
1 : Geo-Ocean
Université de Bretagne Sud, Institut français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers, Université de Brest, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2 : Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière
Université de Caen Normandie, Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers, Université de Rouen Normandie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
3 : Instituto de Geología y Paleontología, Servicio Geológico de Cuba, La Habana, Cuba
4 : Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement [Gif-sur-Yvette]
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA)
5 : Instituto de Geología y Paleontología, Servicio Geológico de Cuba, La Habana, Cuba
6 : Centro de Servicios Ambientales, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
7 : Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Aix Marseille Université, Collège de France, Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement : UMR_D161, Aix Marseille Université : UM34, Collège de France : UMR7330, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : UMR7330, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement : UMR1410
* : Corresponding author

Cuba's rocky coasts are partly composed of carbonate rock derived from uplifted coral reefs. These coasts exhibit sequences of coastal terraces shaped by both marine and continental erosion, exacerbated by extreme events typical of tropical climates (hurricanes). Determining the coastal denudation rates on these coasts allows quantification of spatial variation in this erosion, providing valuable insights into landscape evolution and the interactions between geological processes and coastal environmental conditions. Here, we calculated denudation rates by combining the 36Cl cosmogenic nuclide concentrations measured in 19 surface limestone samples and 11 new 230Th/U dating results obtained from living-growth position corals. Denudation rates are obtained for the distal and inner edges of the lowermost coastal terraces and along the long-lasting sequence of terraces at Cape Maisí. This approach enables discussion of the continental erosion occurring beyond areas directly influenced by marine erosion. Denudation rates on low-lying terraces range from 5 ± 1 mm ka-1 to 32 ± 10 mm ka-1, increasing near the coastline and reflecting the impact of wave breaking on coastal erosion. On the Cape Maisí sequence, the denudation rate increases from 0.2 ± 0.1 mm ka-1 to 36 ± 11 mm ka-1 with elevation. Our results highlight that the beaches protect the inner parts of the low-lying terrace from denudation. We also show that continental denudation increases with weathering duration. Overall, this study demonstrates that both marine and continental erosion processes play an important role in the morphological evolution of the coastline.


Loading... Loading...