The Geological Itinerary of Sasso di Castalda: A Journey into the Geological History of the Southern Apennine Thrust-belt (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

Abstract

Sasso di Castalda (20 km south of Potenza in the Southern Apennines thrust-belt) is a village situated on spectacular outcrops of Mesozoic rocks. In order to illustrate the peculiar stratigraphic and structural features of the area, a geological itinerary comprising 15 stops has been developed around the Sasso di Castalda village. The itinerary illustrates the Mesozoic stratigraphy of the deep-sea Lagonegro Basin in an area where the Triassic to Cretaceous evolution of the basin has been studied in great detail. Extensive exposure allows the observation of tectonic structures related to the Miocene to Pleistocene evolution of the Southern Apennine orogeny. The choice of Sasso di Castalda as the starting point for this itinerary is due to the following reasons: (1) the opportunity to observe the thick sedimentary infill of the Lagonegro Basin, within deeply incised natural sections where lithology, stratigraphical contacts and the geometry of the sedimentary bodies are magnificently exposed; (2) the opportunity to examine 3D-fold geometry at different scales; and (3) the opportunity to observe well-exposed post-orogenic faults crosscutting the earlier contractional structures. The itinerary can be used for school teaching purposes at different levels, as well as university courses. In addition, non-geologists frequently follow the itinerary, often guided by expert volunteers.