Jurassic rifting evolution of the Apennines and Southern Alps (Italy): Parallels and differences

Geology of the eastern slopes of the Simbruini Mts. between Verrecchie and Capistrello (Central Apennines – Abruzzo, Italy)

“…In the earliest Jurassic, the present-day central and northern Apennines were occupied by a vast shallow-water sea, characterized by carbonate sedimentation (Bosellini, 2004). Since the Hettangian/Pliensbachian, such carbonate platform was fragmented and partly drowned as a consequence of a well-known Early Jurassic rifting phase (Santantonio & Carminati, 2011;Fabbi & Santantonio, 2012 and references therein). Subsequently to the rifting stage, thus, a distinction between geological domains can be done, based on the different tectono-sedimentary evolution of the basin.…”

Geology and Jurassic paleogeography of the Mt. Primo-Mt. Castel Santa Maria ridge and neighbouring areas (Northern Apennines, Italy)

“…The margins of these PCPs were submarine escarpments produced by the Early Jurassic extensional faults (Alvarez, 1990;Bice & Stewart, 1985;Carminati & Santantonio, 2005;Santantonio & Carminati, 2011). These escarpments could host local patches of condensed sediment (epi-escarpment deposits), before being progressively onlapped by the basin-fill succession (Figure 3).…”

Geology of the Northern Simbruini Mts. (Abruzzo – Italy)

“…This Domain is generally characterized by shallow-water carbonate sedimentation since the Upper Triassic throughout the Mesozoic, and, although with large hiatuses (see chapter 3), the Cenozoic (Accordi & Carbone, 1988;Chiocchini, Chiocchini, Didaskalou, & Potetti, 2008;Civitelli & Brandano, 2005;Parotto & Praturlon, 1975). Conversely, in the adjacent Tuscan and Umbria-Marche-Sabina Domains the Early Jurassic rifting phase (Fabbi & Santantonio, 2012;Santantonio & Carminati, 2011) produced the drowning of the carbonate platform and the consequent onset of pelagic sedimentation since the Hettangian/Pliensbachian. The typical Latium-Abruzzi stratigraphy consists of a thick Meso-Cenozoic carbonate platform succession, generally overlain by upper Miocene/Pliocene terrigenous units representing the Apennine chain foredeep sedimentation (Bigi, Costa Pisani, Milli, & Moscatelli, 2003;Critelli et al, 2007;Milli & Moscatelli, 2000).…”