A journey along the Gargano promontory (Southern Italy): The Late Jurassic to Eocene Apulia Carbonate Platform evolution

Abstract

The Apulia Carbonate Platform (ACP) is one of the most extensive isolated carbonate domains of the Tethyan Ocean, which persisted for a long span of time (Triassic to Miocene). The Late Jurassic to Eocene evolution of the ACP margin was characterised by different growth dynamics including progradation, aggradation and retrogradation; and by fundamental changes in platform profile. These changes were associated with significant fluctuations through time of the rates of sediment deposition, bypass and erosion along the slope, resulting in great variety in terms of deep-water resedimented carbonate facies and associated stratal architecture. In the Gargano Promontory (Southern Italy), also known as the spur of the Italian boot, the outcrops offer an easy access to a little deformed, complete platform-to-basin transect along the ACP margin. The different evolutionary stages of the slope and base-of-slope domains are well-exposed and can be directly related to the morphological evolution of the platform margin as well as to fluctuations of neritic carbonate production in response to tectonic, eustatic or oceanographic controls. The carbonate rocks of the Gargano Promontory are relevant analogues of some important subsurface reservoirs and plays of the Periadriatic domain, especially in the Adriatic offshore and below the Southern Apennines thrust-belt. This field itinerary includes four excursions with key stops providing an overview of lithofacies, stratal architecture and depositional processes from inner platform to basin environments. The selected outcrops are windows on the in-situ and remobilised sedimentary products of different carbonate factories that colonised the ACP margin through time, i.e. stromatoporoids in the Upper Jurassic-basal Cretaceous, rudists in the Cretaceous and large benthic foraminifera and corals in the Eocene. The excursions are organised chronologically focusing on: (1) Upper Jurassic – basal Cretaceous slope to basin transition, (2) Lower Cretaceous inner platform succession, (3) mid-Upper Cretaceous slope/base-of-slope deposits; and (4) middle Eocene shallow-marine to deep-marine deposits.