Morphotectonic map of the Osento River basin (Abruzzo, Italy), scale 1:30,000

Abstract

This work presents a morphotectonic map of the Osento River basin, located in the southern Abruzzi area, Italy, flowing on the eastern Apennines piedmont into the Adriatic coast. The piedmont area developed in a marine environment from the Pliocene to the early Pleistocene resulting in the deposition of a clayey-sandy sequence. Afterwards, regional uplift with NE tilting, led to the deposition of a regressive conglomeratic sequence, as the area evolved into a continental environment. Since the middle Pleistocene the landscape developed by regional uplift, local tectonics and geomorphic processes, mostly through fluvial and slope modification. The morphotectonic map of the Osento River basin is the result of a drainage basin scale geomorphological analysis and incorporates four main sections: orography and hydrography section (upper left on the map); main morphotectonic map section (central and right on the map); Quaternary fluvial deposits and terraces section (central-left on the map); longitudinal morphotectonic profile section (lower part of the map). The map presented in this work provides the basis for recognition of morphotectonic features at basin scale, detection of tectonic control on landscape, and reconstruction of paleo-landscapes. It provides a contribution to define the main phases of post orogenic landscape evolution of the piedmont area of the Apennines chain, resulting from the link of alternating morphotectonics and surface processes, due to uplift processes, local tectonics and alternating slope and fluvial processes.