Geology of the Pergola–Melandro basin area, Southern Apennines, Italy

Abstract

The Southern Apennines (SA) are part of the Apennine–Maghrebian chain, a segment of the circum-Mediterranean Alpine orogenic system. It is a NE-verging fold-and-thrust belt with an about N150°-striking axis developed since the late Oligocene-early Miocene. The Geological Map at 1:25,000 scale of the Pergola–Melandro basin area, presents a sector of the axial zone of the SA which represents a key area to reconstruct the tectonic evolution of this chain. The map describes the complex structural and stratigraphic relationships between the three main tectonic units forming this sector of the SA: (1) the carbonate slope succession of the Maddalena Mts Unit, interpreted as the eastern boundary of the Apennine carbonate Platform; (2) the Lagonegro Unit, resulting from the deformation of the homonym pelagic basin; (3) the strongly deformed Argille Variegate Group sandwiched between the two previous units. Three main contractional tectonic stages, occurring from middle Miocene to Pliocene, have been recognized. Since Pliocene times low-angle extensional tectonic contacts and tectono-gravitative detachments affected the tectonic pile.