Studies of Shores and Shore Displacement on the Southern Coast of Kenya—Especially in Kilifi District

ABSTRACT

The raised terraces and similiar shore elements of Kilifi District, Coast Province, Kenya, between local Datum level and c. 20 m above Datum have been levelled. It was found that the shore elements can be grouped into several different levels, possibly as many as 8. Some of these levels are obviously composed of elements formed at different dates which makes the grouping uncertain. The levels give an indication of higher land uplift in the northern part, e.g. Malindi area, compared to the area south of Kilifi, and even the Mombasa area. This is also supported by the fact that features like creeks are more common in the Mombasa-Kilifi area than in the Malindi area, whereas dunes are more common in the latter area and especially north of Malindi. The dunes are generally considered features of a “shoreline of emergence”.

Unfortunately, there are few indications for the age of the shore elements levels. However, there are some indications of a rather recent age (below about 3000 years) for the lower levels below c. 10–11 m above Datum, whereas the upper levels, which are occasionally covered by reddish soil derived from the underlying rock, must be considerably older, maybe of early Holocene or even late Pleistocene age.