Tectonic Evolution of the Southern Apennines Thrust-Belt (Italy) as Reflected in Modal Compositions of Cenozoic Sandstone

Abstract

The composition of sandstones derived from erosion of the southern Apennines orogen provides constraints for Cenozoic tectonic evolution. Clastic wedges were derived mainly from the strongly deformed Calabrian arc allochthon. This key tectonic element is interpreted as a thrust sheet of European crust, moved about 300-400 km eastward during the Paleogene to Neogene toward the Adria foreland. During the Paleogene to Early Miocene, the Liguride Complex oceanic terrane was deposited in a remnant ocean basin, east of the Calabrian arc, related to northwestward subduction of Ligurian oceanic lithosphere beneath the European margin. Upper Paleogene quartzofeldspathic and volcanolithic Liguride sandstones testify to provenance from the subduction complex to the magmatic arc, respectively. Upper Oligocene to lower Miocene quartzolithic sandstone suggests a recycled-orogen provenance (i.e., metasedimentary rocks in the growing accretionary Calabrian arc). Final closure of the Liguride remnant ocean basin and onset...