Abstract
ABSTRACT The results of geomorphological investigations carried out in the Rio Cisles basin in the Odle Group (Italian Alps) are presented. This is one of the most famous and spectacular mountain groups of the Dolomites, located in the north-western sector of the Gardena valley, an area of high tourism appeal. Field surveys and multitemporal aerial-photo interpretation led to the production of a geomorphological map at a 1:12,000 scale. This map outlines the features of an area of about 20 km2, characterised by high relief energy, mainly due to the overlapping of large dolomite rocks masses on clayey rocks. The present morphology is the result of intense postglacial and paraglacial geomorphic activity, which has affected the area since the Upper Pleistocene. The geomorphological evolution of this area has been reconstructed and a new contribution is given to the comprehension of the geomorphology of the eastern Dolomites.
Highlights
The Rio Cisles basin (Odle Group) lies in the northeastern sector of the Gardena valley, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (South Tyrol) (Figure 1)
Detailed geomorphological investigations have enabled a reconstruction of the geomorphological evolution of the study area since the retreat of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glaciers (Marchetti, Soldati, & Vandelli, 2017)
During LGM, in the central portion of the valley where Rio Cisles flows, there were vast ice masses, which were fed by still visible cirques located in the northern sector of the area, between Sas de Mesdì and Forchetta Piccola
Summary
The Rio Cisles basin (Odle Group) lies in the northeastern sector of the Gardena valley, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (South Tyrol) (Figure 1). Its north-eastern part belongs to the Puez-Odle mountain group, which is one of the nine dolomite systems forming the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site (Gianolla, Micheletti, & Panizza, 2009; Soldati, 2010) The latter was inscribed, as serial property, in the UNESCO list in 2009 for its exceptional scenic beauty and for the outstanding scientific importance of its geology and geomorphology. The area of the Park encompasses remarkable geological and geomorphological features that enable a reconstruction of the long history of this sector of the Southern Alps, which dates back 200 million years For this reason, the study area, like the Dolomites in general, is an outstanding open-air laboratory where processes and landscape evolution can be studied and disseminated to the non-specialised public (cf., Marchetti, Ghinoi, & Soldati, 2017)
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