A seamless database for a digital geological map of central Italy: the case of Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria regions

Abstract

In 2012, the Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria regions signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a geological map of their territories. Based on previous results, a unique geological database has been produced with a geographic mapping in GIS vector format at a scale of 1:10,000. The emergence of inconsistencies in initial cartography made necessary the revision of four pilot areas: “Conca-Marecchia”, “Tuscany-Umbria”, “Pistoia-Modena” and “Massa Carrara-Parma”. With regards to the latter, the problems to be solved were: a) the position and correlation between tertiary turbid arenaic formations; b) interpretation of the position of marvelous sequences; c) interpretation of the tectonic structures of the Passo del Cerreto- F.Secchia, with outgrowth of medium-grade metamorphic rocks tectonically juxtaposed to evaporitic triassic formations; d) the nature and age of the tectonic contacts at the roof of the succession of the Passo del Cerreto-F.Secchia and of the area of the M.Ventasso. To solve some critical issues, field data have been integrated with information about the age of the stratigraphic successions mentioned above, through biostratigraphic and petrographic studies. The final product consisted in a new database useful to test the geological data concerning some critical revision areas.