Linking coastal and seafloor morphological features along the eastern side of the Maltese archipelago.

The integration of detailed geomorphological information from the present subaerial exposures of the Maltese archipelago, with morphobathymetric data obtained from the adjacent continental margin may serve in understanding processes active in shaping the archipelago since the Last Glacial Maximum. In perspective, this appears also to be of fundamental importance to better define the kinematics of active gravitational processes occurring along the coastlines. Preliminary results reveal the existence of submerged morphologies comparable to subaerial analogous. A case in point is circular depressions at shallow depth interpreted as inundated former karst features like sinkholes on-land. This is probably the case also of fractured plateaus surrounded by detached blocks identified offshore, which are comparable to terrestrial landforms formed by lateral spreading. Other relevant features identified on the continental margin and easily correlatable with morphologies on land include meandering river valleys.