Abstract
The lower Calore and middle Volturno valleys preserve stratigraphical and morphological evidence and tephrostratigraphic markers particularly suitable for reconstructing the long-term geomorphological evolution of the central-southern Apennines. Aim of our study is to identify the main steps of the Quaternary landscape evolution of these valley systems and to improve knowledge about the relationships between fluvial processes and tectonics, volcanic activity, climatic and human influences. To this purpose, we carried out an integrated geomorphological and chrono-stratigraphical analysis of identified fluvial landforms and related deposits, integrated by 230Th/234U datings on travertines from the Telese Plain area. The study highlighted in particular: (1) fluvial sedimentation started in the Middle Pleistocene (~650 ka) within valleys that originated in the lower Pleistocene under the control of high-angle faults; (2) extensional tectonics acted during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, driving the formation of the oldest fluvial terraces and alluvial fans, and persisted beyond the emplacement of the Campanian Ignimbrite pyroclastic deposits (~39 ka); and (3) from the late Upper Pleistocene onwards (<15 ka), the role of tectonics appears negligible, while climatic changes played a key role in the formation of three orders of valley floor terraces and the youngest alluvial fans.
Highlights
IntroductionConsidering in particular the context of a young and active mountain chain, such as the Apennines [1,2], long-term landscape evolution appears complex and diverse in space, mainly responding to tectonic events that have implicated diverse regimes and spatiotemporal scales for different chain sectors (e.g., [2,3]), and environmental changes due to volcanic events and/or climate oscillations and related sea level changes (e.g., [4,5] and references therein)
Among these four travertine samples, Tr1, Tr4, and Tr5 samples contain a significant amount of siliciclastic material that may contribute with terrigenous 232 Th adsorbed in the octahedric layers of detrital clays
From an analytical point of view, the obtained radiometric ages for the Amorosi samples can be considered valid because the detrital contamination is relatively small and the radiometric clock of the U-Th system has been closed since the travertine formation, while the radiometric age obtained for Tr1 must be considered with caution
Summary
Considering in particular the context of a young and active mountain chain, such as the Apennines [1,2], long-term landscape evolution appears complex and diverse in space, mainly responding to tectonic events that have implicated diverse regimes and spatiotemporal scales for different chain sectors (e.g., [2,3]), and environmental changes due to volcanic events and/or climate oscillations and related sea level changes (e.g., [4,5] and references therein) Analyzing such a long-term landscape can provide valid data about the Quaternary geomorphological evolution of a certain area and the roles played by tectonics and climate changes (e.g., [6,7] and references therein). Once examined several regional contexts and relative data available, we focused our attention on the Volturno
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