The River Terraces - Indicators of the Neotectonic Movements in Albania

From the geological point of view, the whole Albanides thrust belts, represent an integral part of the Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides arc in the framework of the Alpine folding cycle. Albanides situate along the eastern banks of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, between Dinarides in the north and Hellenides in the south, and overthrust onto the Adria microplate. In other words, the arc of Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides and the Adria microplate move in the opposite directions across their convergent tectonic boundary. The movement of the Adria microplate is among the main data of reading the deformation phenomenon and tectonic stresses generation along the western margin of the Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides arc and in the whole central Mediterranean [Altiner, Y et al., 2006]. Also, the Apennines belts overthrust eastward onto the Adria microplate. Consequently, the organic movements of the thrust belts towards the Adria microplate have brought about formation of the western asymmetry thrusted structures and few tectonic napes across the Albanides thrust belts [Aliaj et al., 1996] (fig 1). In other words the pressure stresses regime of the convergence in question have generated a complicated tectonic setting of the Albnides in general, and of the external Albanides and pre-Adriatic Depression in particular [Jouanne et al., 2007]. Subsequently, the whole Albanides have an active neo-tectonic regime, expressed through frequent seismic shakes, hard relief, and steep slopes of the river valleys and existence of several levels of terraces formed during Plio-Quaternary to present days (fig 2).