Evolution of fluviokarst canyons in response to the Quaternary tectonic uplift of the Apulia Carbonate Platform (southern Italy): Insights from morphometric analysis of drainage basins

Abstract

The evolution of fluviokarst landscapes results from the interplay of karst and fluvial processes, all driven by rock uplift or base level fall. The fluviokarst landscape of the Murge Plateau in the central Apulian Region (southeastern Italy) is characterized by narrow, steep-sided, V-shaped canyons, locally called ‘Gravine’, and deeply incised into the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of the Bradanic Trough and the underlying Apulian limestone bedrock. Previous studies propose alternative models of canyons development, however identifying a dominant morphogenetic process for the evolution of the ‘Gravine’ fluviokarst drainage basins remains an open question. The results of our regional morphometric analysis reveal a marked transition from the relict, low-relief landscape preserved in the Murge uplands to the steep channel reaches below prominent knickpoints showing evidence of a transient wave of river incision that is propagating inland. We observe anomalies of mean local relief and channel steepness, and the distribution of fluvial knickpoints consistent with a regional uplift affecting the Murge Plateau since Middle-Late Pleistocene. These findings demonstrate that the history of landscape evolution was dominated by fluvial processes. Using transformed river profile analysis we show that χ anomalies in the ‘Gravine’ trunk channels indicate drainage basin instability by drainage area capture. The convex-shape of the hypsometric curves and high hypsometric integrals confirm that the disequilibrium state of the 13 analyzed basins results from a combination of regional uplift and subsequent river network reorganization and plateau area captures. Based on our results, we propose a new model of landscape evolution for the ‘Gravine’ fluviokarst drainage basins.