The geomorphological mapping of Keros island (Cyclades, Greece)

Περίληψη

This study concerns the geomorphological mapping of Keros island in scale 1:10.000 . This island is located in "Small Cyclades" (Cyclades, Greece) and it is considered of major archaeological importance as it has been excavated since 1963 (since 1987 by the University of Cambridge). Keros is included in the topographic maps of the Hellenic Military Geographical Service scaled 1:5.000 and in the geological maps of the Institute of Geology and Mineral exploration scaled 1:50.000 (map sheet "Schoinoussa"). This small island presents a complex terrain and a wide variety of landforms, due to its intense tectonism and the natural processes that shaped its morphology. The primary data that were used in the creation of the map mainly included geological and topographic maps. Decisive contribution in mapping was provided by the available Quickbird satellite imagery and Google Earth images, as well as the field work. Thematic layers of the topography, hydrography and geology were constructed through GIS software. A Digital Elevation Model was also constructed, from which the slope and aspect maps were created. The thematic maps of slope and lithology were classified into categories, which were combined to constitute detection criteria of landforms. Finally, with the appropriate combination of colors and symbols the geomorphological map of the study area was produced in order to pinpoint geoarchaeological issues concerning the human activities and occupation on the island during Holocene.