Evidenze di tettonica trascorrente alto pleistocenica al confine calabro-lucano: Analisi morfostratigrafica e strutturale del bacino del Mercure

Abstract

A detailed structural and geomorphic study of the intramontane Mercure Basin (Southern Italy), filled up by middle-to-late Pleistocene lacustrine deposits, is presented in this paper. Results of this study allowed to recognise a fundamental role played by N120° striking left-lateral faults in the evolution of the structural depression and the successive deformation of its lacustrine infilling. In particular, the existence of diffuse W-vergent thrusting, originated by right stepping on the N120° left-lateral fault segments, has been evidenced. The deformation affecting the lacustrine deposits allowed to infer a Late Pleistocene age for the transpressive tectonics. Kinematics related to this tectonic regime have been compared to the geodynamic features of this portion of the Apennines and an interpretation is proposed, that explains the observed transcurrent regime as generated by the kinematic disengagement between the Calabrian arc and the Southern Apennines.