Evidence for late Alpine tectonics in the Lake Garda area (northern Italy) and seismogenic implications

Abstract

Research Article| January 01, 2015 Evidence for late Alpine tectonics in the Lake Garda area (northern Italy) and seismogenic implications Giancarlo Scardia; Giancarlo Scardia 1Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, CNR, via Salaria km 29.300, I-00016 Monterotondo Scalo (Roma), Italy †Current address: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; scardia@usp.br. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrea Festa; Andrea Festa 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, I-10125 Torino, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Giovanni Monegato; Giovanni Monegato 3Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR, via Valperga Caluso 35, I-10123 Torino, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Roberta Pini; Roberta Pini 4Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, CNR, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milano, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sergio Rogledi; Sergio Rogledi 5ENI E&P, via Emilia 1, I-20097 San Donato Milanese, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Fabrizio Tremolada; Fabrizio Tremolada 6RPS Energy, Goldsworth House, Denton Way, Goldsworth Park, GU213LG Woking, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Fabrizio Galadini Fabrizio Galadini 7Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, via di Vigna Murata 605, I-00143 Roma, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Giancarlo Scardia †Current address: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Praça do Oceanográfico 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil; scardia@usp.br. 1Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, CNR, via Salaria km 29.300, I-00016 Monterotondo Scalo (Roma), Italy Andrea Festa 2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, I-10125 Torino, Italy Giovanni Monegato 3Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR, via Valperga Caluso 35, I-10123 Torino, Italy Roberta Pini 4Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, CNR, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milano, Italy Sergio Rogledi 5ENI E&P, via Emilia 1, I-20097 San Donato Milanese, Italy Fabrizio Tremolada 6RPS Energy, Goldsworth House, Denton Way, Goldsworth Park, GU213LG Woking, UK Fabrizio Galadini 7Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, via di Vigna Murata 605, I-00143 Roma, Italy Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 04 Sep 2013 Revision Received: 12 May 2014 Accepted: 24 Jun 2014 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 © 2014 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2015) 127 (1-2): 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30990.1 Article history Received: 04 Sep 2013 Revision Received: 12 May 2014 Accepted: 24 Jun 2014 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Giancarlo Scardia, Andrea Festa, Giovanni Monegato, Roberta Pini, Sergio Rogledi, Fabrizio Tremolada, Fabrizio Galadini; Evidence for late Alpine tectonics in the Lake Garda area (northern Italy) and seismogenic implications. GSA Bulletin 2015;; 127 (1-2): 113–130. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B30990.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract We investigated the recent evolution of the Po Plain–Alps system by integrating subsurface geophysical data from the Po Plain with new stratigraphic and structural observations from the Southern Alps margin. Inversion of structural data and chronology provided by stratigraphic constraints led to the definition of three tectonic events since the Pliocene, namely, the intra-Zanclean, the Gelasian, and the Middle Pleistocene, driven by an axis of maximum compression formerly oriented NE (intra-Zanclean) and then to the NNW (Gelasian and Middle Pleistocene). The associated deformation has been accommodated by two sets of faults consisting of NNE-trending thrust faults, mostly represented in the western sector of Lake Garda, and NW-trending strike-slip faults, observed in the southern and eastern sectors. The interplay between these two sets of faults is interpreted to produce short (<10 km length) thrust ramps activated in left transpression, bounded by longer (30–60 km) transfer faults activated in a right-lateral strike-slip motion. Based on this structural model, we infer moderate seismicity (Mw < 6) associated with the NNE-directed thrusts and stronger earthquakes (also Mw > 6.5) along the NW-trending strike-slip faults. In this framework, the newly defined Nogara fault and the Sant’Ambrogio fault, all pertaining to the NW-trending system, are regarded as potential candidates for the seismogenic source of the January A.D. 1117 event, the most destructive earthquake in the Po Plain. 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