Area Of Bari Research Articles

New challenges for sustainable urban mobility

Micromobility provide intelligent, fast, and sustainable trips for tourist from accommodation facilities to attraction locations. However, some points of interest may be located away from the accommodation i.e. in a different city of a metropolitan area. In this case, cycling to the attractions may not be possible and multimodal bike and public transport trips can be considered for more sustainable tourism. Therefore, it is essential to identify how adequate a city transport infrastructures and services are for these types of trips. In this paper, we propose a cycling indicator for tourism accessibility with the aim of defining the level of multimodal bike-public transport friendliness through numerical values related to a specific zone in the main city of a metropolitan area. The indicator was applied to the metropolitan area of Bari (Italy) and results showed that the presence of bike lanes and bike-sharing plays an important role.

Perceived Social Support Mediates the Relationship between Use of Greenspace and Geriatric Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of South-Italian Older Adults.

A growing body of evidence is suggestive for the beneficial role of contact with greenspace (e.g., use of greenspace, visual access to greenspace, etc.) on mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, etc.). In addition, several studies have pointed out the benefits of social support and social interaction on psychological wellbeing. Even if evidence on the association between contact with greenspace and perceived social support were mixed, it was supposed that the use of greenspace could enhance social interactions and perceived social support, especially among older adults. The present study aims to explore the effect of use of greenspace on geriatric depression in a sample of South-Italian older adults and the mediating role of perceived social support in this association. A structural equation model was tested in a sample of 454 older adults (60-90 years old) residing in the Metropolitan Area of Bari, Apulia. The fit indices revealed the goodness of fit of the model (CFI = 0.934; TLI = 0.900; IFI = 0.911; NFI = 0.935; RMSEA = 0.074; SRMR = 0.056). Results showed that the use of greenspace was inversely associated with geriatric depression through perceived social support. These findings underlined the relevance of perceived social support on the pathway linking use of greenspace and geriatric depressive symptoms. This evidence may be useful to policymakers to plan interventions for promoting physical access to greenspace and social participation in an age-friendly city framework.

Assessment of seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage in the seawater intrusion region of a carbonate aquifer

In coastal areas the seawater intrusion region underlying freshwater aquifers represents a low quality but wide and deep geo resource. Seasonal thermal energy storage and recovery is an important component of district heating and cooling system to manage renewable energy fluctuations, such as solar irradiance or waste heat from industrial processes, and the corresponding mismatch of thermal energy demand and supply. A numerical tool to evaluate the performance of seasonal Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) system to store and recover solar energy in the seawater intrusion region, underlying the shallow freshwater aquifer and with thermally and hydraulically insulated upper borehole section is developed and applied to the coastal carbonate aquifer of the metropolitan area of Bari (Italy). The hourly thermal demand of the University Sport Centre of Bari is used as benchmark. The design and performance of the BTES system is strongly dependent on the geological and hydrogeological context as well as on the environmental and operational conditions. The aquifer characterization suggests to locate BTES zone at a depth higher than 100 m from the freshwater – saltwater interface where carbonate unit appears less fractured and karstified showing a value of bulk permeability less than 10−12 m2 and the groundwater flow is slow (∼10−3 md−1). Rayleigh number criterion is used as constraint to determine the maximum heat storage temperature (∼70°C) in order to preserve the lateral thermal stratification and the thermal impact on the shallow freshwater resource. A novel mathematical and computational model is developed to help the design of BTES system and to evaluate its efficiency. The results indicate that the thermal losses within thermally insulated zone influence the effective thermal recovery factor which, according to the baseline scenario, is equal to 47% after five years of operation. The heat energy production of the solar heating system, covers the heat demand with percentage range of 79–117%. The location of BTES in deep seawater region attenuates the decreases of efficiency due to the groundwater flow which became significant at specific discharge around 10−2 md−1. Changing the operation schedule with a shorter heating storage period increases the thermal recovery factor of the BTES of 11.19% after five years of operation, but at the same time the trend of the heat energy production shows a surplus during the midseason and deficit during the winter and summer season respect to the thermal demand. Great care must be taken on the maximum heat storage temperature. A low heat storage temperature ensures a wider safety margin with regards to the thermal stratification and the thermal impact on the shallow aquifer. Anyway, a decrease of 10°C on the maximum heat storage temperature produces a deficit of the heat production respect to the thermal demand in the range of 15%–21%.

Comparison of spectral indices extracted from Sentinel-2 images to map plastic covered greenhouses through an object-based approach

ABSTRACT One of the most important challenges of agriculture today is increasing its productivity gains, while controlling its environmental footprint. Because of that plastic covered greenhouses (PCG) mapping via remote sensing is receiving a great attention throughout this century. In this study, a fair comparison was carried out in four PCG study areas around the world to test 14 spectral indices mainly focused on the detection of plastic. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first research that fairly compares all these spectral indices in such variable number of study sites. The applied OBIA approach was based on the combined use of very high-resolution satellite data (Deimos-2 pansharpened images) to address the segmentation process and Sentinel-2 time series to compute the spectral indices. When dealing with Sentinel-2 single images, the Plastic GreenHouse Index (PGHI) stood out among all the indices tested in the study areas dedicated to the cultivation of vegetables, such as the cases of Almería (Spain), Agadir (Morocco) and Antalya (Turkey). Better Overall Accuracy (OA) values of 94.09%, 92.27%, 92.77% and 92.17% were achieved for Almería, Agadir, Bari and Antalya study sites, respectively, when using statistical seasonal spectral indices based on Sentinel-2 time series, being the maximum and mean values of PGHI (MAX (PGHI) and MEAN (PGHI)) the best ranked. Meanwhile, the PCG area of Bari (Italy), with a monoculture in vineyards, presented the worst and most irregular results.

Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) pestanai in Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and Ixodidae ticks, Italy.

Trypanosomes are haemoflagellate protozoa transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods causing infections in a wide range of mammals, including humans. Adult badgers (Meles meles, n = 2), displaying severe paralysis, ataxia and severe ectoparasite infestation, were rescued from a peri-urban area of Bari (southern Italy). Blood samples and ectoparasites were screened for Trypanosoma spp. by the combined PCR/sequencing approach, targeting a fragment of 18S rRNA gene. Smears of haemolymph, guts and salivary glands of the alive ticks were microscopically observed. No haematological alterations, except thrombocytopenia, were found. Trypomastigotes and epimastigotes were observed in the blood smears of both badgers and Trypanosoma pestanai was molecularly identified. Out of 33 ticks (i.e. n = 31 Ixodes canisuga, n = 2 Ixodes ricinus) and two fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), 11 specimens (n = 5 I. canisuga engorged nymphs, n = 4 engorged females and n = 2 I. ricinus engorged females) tested positive only for T. pestanai DNA. All smears from ticks were negative. The present study firstly revealed T. pestanai in Ixodidae and badgers from Italy, demonstrating the occurrence of the protozoan on the peninsula. Further studies are needed to clarify the occurrence of the only known vector of this parasite, Paraceras melis flea, as well as other putative arthropods involved in the transmission of T. pestanai.

Pleistocene terracing phases in the metropolitan area of Bari - AAR dating and deduced uplift rates of the Apulian Foreland

We performed detailed geological and geomorphological analyses on a series of marine terraces located around the city of Bari (southern Italy). Absolute dating was obtained by applying amino acid racemisation (AAR) to ostracod valves taken from deposits lying on marine terraces. The combination of literature data, field geological surveys, digital terrain model analysis, and absolute dating allowed us to recognise and map: i) four terrace surfaces bordered by four inner edges which date to MIS 7.5, 7.3, 7.1, and 5.5; and ii) three terraced deposits, which date to MIS 7.5, 7.1, and 5.5. These new data represent the first dated terraced deposits (older than MIS 5) of the coastal stretch of the Apulian foreland between Trani and Taranto. Using inner edges of the terraces as palaeo sea level markers, we calculate the mean uplift rates that characterised this portion of the Apulian foreland from MIS 7.5, 7.3, 7.1, 5.5 to the present day; these rates are 0.28, 0.255, 0.15 and 0.01 mm/y, respectively. These new dated Pleistocene terraced deposits allow to refine the knowledge on the chronology, the spatial extension and rate of the uplift and, in general, on the Pleistocene geodynamics of the Apulian foreland.

Representativeness of Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Measured by Eddy Covariance over a Mediterranean Urban District with Equipment Setup Restrictions

The CO2 fluxes measured by the eddy covariance technique (EC) are presented for a district of the urban area of Bari (Italy). The applicability of the EC method was satisfied even though the measurements were taken at a limited height. The CO2 fluxes are representative of an area with public offices and schools, the university campus, green areas, and busy roads with intensive traffic during school and office times. The measurements were carried out in March–June, covering late winter, characterized by huge vehicle traffic and domestic heating, until late spring, characterized by reduced activities for schools and the university. The source area was determined as a function of atmospheric stability, for data with the ratio between measurement-height/buildings-height in the range of 1.3–1.5. The measured CO2 fluxes were compared to gas consumption values. The results show that the district is a strong source of CO2 during the winter. Emissions were drastically reduced (−82%) after the heating was switched off, and a further decrease in CO2 emissions (−50%) occurred with the reduction of school activities, partly due to the mitigating effect of green areas with large trees in the area.

Analysis of gravel back-filled borehole heat exchanger in karst fractured limestone aquifer at local scale

In designing and sizing of borehole thermal energy system, natural groundwater movement and temperature driven flow have a great importance on the borehole heat exchanger efficiency. The efficiency of double U – tube arrangement in gravel – backfilled borehole installed in a fractured limestone aquifer has been analyzed by means of three – dimensional numerical simulations. The numerical model is representative of 1 m deep of gravel back – filled borehole surrounded by the fractured aquifer. Several simulations have been carried out in order to evaluate the effect of aquifer parameters and boundary conditions on heat exchange efficiency by varying the mean temperature within the double U - tube. The fractured limestone aquifer of the industrial area of Bari (Italy) has been chosen as field site in order to identify the aquifer parameter range and the respective combinations. The results highlight that borehole thermal energy system efficiency is strictly dependent on aquifer transmissivity and groundwater Darcian velocity. The conducted analysis shows that, under lower Darcian groundwater flow and lower aquifer transmissivity, heat transfer efficiency increases at least by 25% compared to stagnant water, whereas heat transfer in the aquifer is governed by heat conduction. The increase of aquifer transmissivity induces the thermosiphon effect enhancing heat transfer processes both in the gravel back-filled borehole and aquifer. At higher values of groundwater Darcian velocity (> 0.1 m/d) advection due to groundwater flow is not negligible and mixed with free convection enhancing heat transfer further. Based on the results, discussion on the performance and environmental constraint of gravel back – filled borehole at field site has been presented.

Numerical model of the behavior of chlorinated ethenes in a fractured, karstic limestone aquifer

Characterizing the transport and degradation of chlorinated ethenes in fractured aquifers, as well as the assessment of cleanup times, poses an extreme technical challenge. In the presented study, a method to analyze reactive transport and reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents in fractured aquifers is developed. A rough-walled parallel-plate model of nonlinear flow behavior is coupled with random-walk particle tracking, incorporating particle exchange between the mobile and stagnant zones, adsorption processes, and reductive dechlorination reaction pathways. The developed methodology, considering reductive dechlorination processes in a Lagrangian framework, is able to simulate the motion of particles affected by first-order network reactions, so that particles move according to their chemical state, affecting physical transport processes (advection, dispersion, mass-transfer exchange between mobile and stagnant zones). The developed model is applied to a case study of groundwater contamination in the industrial area of Bari and Modugno (Italy), where the limestone aquifer has a fractured, karstic nature. The steady-state distribution of the contamination by chlorinated ethenes from a source at a hot spot is obtained and compared with the observed scenario of contamination, in order to estimate the plausible transport and degradation processes and the mass loading at source. The study represents a valuable tool in deciding the role of natural attenuation as a treatment option, where the natural attenuation capacity of groundwater can be integrated with engineering methods in order to obtain site remediation.

Physical Activity in Older Adults: An Investigation in a Metropolitan Area of Southern Italy.

Physical activity (PA) and exercise are fundamental to maintaining health in older adults. World Health Organization guidelines state that older adults should practice at least 150 min/week of moderate/vigorous intensity PA to obtain health benefits. We assessed PA levels among older adults in southern Italy and evaluated possible associated determinants. The study was carried out between September and November 2019 in the metropolitan area of Bari. We collected information from participants over 65 years using a self-administered questionnaire. We investigated associations between sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, and inactivity/PA levels. A total of 383 individuals completed the questionnaire. Mean body mass index indicated that 45.4% of participants were overweight. Mean time spent in PA was 476.2 ± 297.8 min/week, with women reporting lower levels than men (370.8 ± 210 vs. 555.2 ± 334.3 min/week, p = 0.08). Weekly sitting time was positively related to age. Attending religious or recreational activities was related to moderate PA. Educational level was positively associated with PA while dog ownership represented an obstacle to achieving recommended PA levels in our population. Participants generally met the recommended levels of PA, especially men; the educational level was the main determinant. Interventions aimed at promoting PA among older adults with lower education levels and women are needed in this setting.

Integrated Geomorphological and Geospatial Analysis for Mapping Fluvial Landforms in Murge Basse Karst of Apulia (Southern Italy)

An integrated geomorphological and geospatial study was performed in order to map fluvial landforms in a sector of Lama Lamasinata close to the town of Binetto in the Murge Basse karst (metropolitan area of Bari, Apulia, Southern Italy). This study describes a combined approach, based on geomorphological fieldwork and topographical position index (TPI)-based landform classification, aimed at identifying the main landforms in an anthropically-modified environment, which suffered a progressive transformation of original morphologies. The resulting geomorphological map of fluvial features was then compared with the available cartography in order to highlight the main strength of the applied methodology in mapping fluvial landforms. Moreover, semi-automatic landform classification was performed for the entire catchment of the Lama Lamasinata in order to evaluate the usefulness of the approach for the fast and objective delimitation of widespread geomorphological elements of the Murge area such as flat-bottomed valleys with steep- or gently-dipping flanks and relict incised valleys. We demonstrated that such an approach can efficiently support land use planning in an area affected by hydrogeological hazards.

Energy Recovery from the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: A Real Options-Based Facility Assessment

During the last years, due to the strict regulations on waste landfilling, anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is increasingly considered a sustainable alternative for waste stabilization and energy recovery. AD can reduce the volume of OFMSW going to landfill and produce, at the same time, biogas and compost, all at a profit. The uncertainty about the collected quantity of organic fraction, however, may undermine the economic-financial sustainability of such plants. While the flexibility characterizing some AD technologies may prove very valuable in uncertain contexts since it allows adapting plant capacity to changing environments, the investment required for building flexible systems is generally higher than the investment for dedicated equipment. Hence, an adequate justification of investments in these flexible systems is needed. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at investigating how different technologies may perform from technical, economic and financial standpoints, in presence of an uncertain organic fraction quantity to be treated. Focusing on two AD treatment plant configurations characterized by a technological process with different degree of flexibility, a real options-based model is developed and then applied to the case of the urban waste management system of the Metropolitan Area of Bari (Italy). Results show the importance of pricing the flexibility of treatment plants, which becomes a critical factor in presence of an uncertain organic fraction. Hence, it has to be taken into consideration in the design phase of these plants.

Cytokine Profile in Patients Infected with Anisakis simplex in Endemic Areas: Dietary Intervention with Polyphenols: A Working Hypothesis.

Anisakiasis is a zoonosis due to infection with the nematode Anisakis (A.) simplex. Humans represent an accidental host after ingesting raw fish infected with A. simplex. A. simplex larvae lead to a robust host immune response mostly at gastro-intestinal level and, usually, T helper (h)2 lymphocytes play a protective against this nematode. However, larvae can elude immunity triggering activation of T regulatory (Treg) cells, which, in turn, suppress Th2 responses via production of interleukin (IL)-10. According to our own experience in the area of Bari (south Italy) where anisakiasis is endemic, chronic urticaria (CU) is very often associated to A. simplex infection. The cytokine profile in CU patients with Anisakis infection is characterized by an elevated release of interferon-γ and IL-17, while IL-10 production is very low. This pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokine response was consistently detectable in patients who underwent a raw fish free diet regimen over a period of six months. In the light of the above considerations, we hypothesize that treating these patients with polyphenols it may be beneficial in terms of activation of Treg cell function. In fact, polyphenols have the capacity to expand Treg cell response in vitro. In this regard, activation of human Treg cells, by analogy to other helminthiasis, may lead to a reduction of allergic/inflammatory reaction in the course of human anisakiasis.

Are conventional statistical techniques exhaustive for defining metal background concentrations in harbour sediments? A case study: The Coastal Area of Bari (Southeast Italy)

Sediment contamination by metals poses significant risks to coastal ecosystems and is considered to be problematic for dredging operations. The determination of the background values of metal and metalloid distribution based on site-specific variability is fundamental in assessing pollution levels in harbour sediments. The novelty of the present work consists of addressing the scope and limitation of analysing port sediments through the use of conventional statistical techniques (such as: linear regression analysis, construction of cumulative frequency curves and the iterative 2σ technique), that are commonly employed for assessing Regional Geochemical Background (RGB) values in coastal sediments. This study ascertained that although the tout court use of such techniques in determining the RGB values in harbour sediments seems appropriate (the chemical–physical parameters of port sediments fit well with statistical equations), it should nevertheless be avoided because it may be misleading and can mask key aspects of the study area that can only be revealed by further investigations, such as mineralogical and multivariate statistical analyses.

The Affectivity of the Cities in Transition

During the last few years, several Italian city-planners have considered the concept of urban transition as something aprioristically able to produce new social practices. The aim of this article is to analyze the effects of transition in the metropolitan area of Bari (a large town in Southern Italy) where most of the recent public works have ignored the need for empathy. In particular they have not considered the way to capture the citizens’ imagination which is essential for distribution of affectivity into human relationships as those with public institutions. This thesis takes its cue from the results of recent studies regarding the negative effects on the affective tone produced by the botulinum toxin used in plastic surgery, and argues that public works are performed according to an aesthetic view that does not consider the value of beauty as sociability.

Assessing the benefits and the shortcomings of participation – findings from a test in Bari (Italy)

Participation is advocated as an essential component of strategies and policies for sustainable urban mobility. This paper refers to the overall literature on participation and provides the design, test and ex-post evaluation of a deliberative-participative procedure (DPP) aimed at selecting a new scheme for the regulation of traffic and parking in the “Murat”, a central area of Bari (Italy). The potential benefits and shortcomings of participation were explicitly considered when designing a DPP which integrates three tools: an opinion poll and two deliberative arenas – the “stakeholder dialogue” and the “citizens’ jury”. The ex-post evaluation of the test confirmed ex-ante design choices. The DPP was effective and learning was generated: the use of understandable techniques for deliberation and assessment helped participants to generate an unambiguous final result which was based on the “hybridisation” of the alternative schemes proposed to the participants at the beginning of the procedure. The “last word” given to the citizens’ jury avoided that the most powerful stakeholders may capture the DPP. Only a “frustration” effect was clearly generated because of the limited involvement of the Municipality of Bari, thus confirming that the involvement of the relevant Authority is an essential requisite for successful participation. We suggest that the generation of new knowledge and learning could be further assured by the participation of citizens and stakeholders to the definition of the alternatives they will assess later.

Evaluation of Ecosystem Services related to Bio-Energy Landscape Connectivity (BELC) for land use decision making across different planning scales

Landscape connectivity is of paramount importance not only in maintaining both functionality and resilience of social-ecological systems, but also in providing Ecosystem Services (ESs). Despite recent efforts, several issues still need to be faced to fully integrate ESs evaluation relating to landscape connectivity into effective plans and environmental assessment procedures. Choosing an appropriate scale of analysis is one of the most problematic topics, since it can profoundly affect the evaluation of single patch contribution to global connectivity. Moreover, the effect of different scales on ESs assessment based on spatial modelling has not yet been investigated.In this paper, an innovative approach to the assessment of Bio-Energy Landscape Connectivity (BELC) and related ESs for Biodiversity conservation, is presented, based on the PANDORA 3.0 landscape evolution model. A new index (dMtot) for the evaluation of each patch's contribution to global BELC is proposed and employed to build a new formulation for the assessment of ESs in monetary terms. A set of Non Urbanized Areas (NUAs) is therefore analyzed in the Metropolitan area of Bari (Southern Italy) across three planning scales commonly adopted in planning practice.The results bring to light the sensitivity of evaluation to the choice of scale, underlining the need to consider a higher level of analysis when local plans are drawn up for land use decision making. A thorough evaluation of this larger extension could therefore require more resources. As a result, modelling approaches that are less data and time consuming would become even more necessary. In this view, the PANDORA 3.0 model could provide a valid and reliable support, since it uses data that are usually available to land managers (e.g. land cover/land use maps, soil maps, Digital Elevation Models). Moreover, it could also be employed to assess land use scenarios at different scales relatively quickly.Limits of the current approaches and research challenges are then discussed. The final goal of the article is to provide an additional tool, which will allow ESs and Landscape Ecology concepts to be integrated not only into assessment procedures (e.g. EIA, SEA) but also into landscape and urban planning practice.

Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven): Spread and harmfulness in a case-study urban area

Among the woody and shrubby weeds colonising non-crop areas in the Apulia Region (South Italy), Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven), an exotic invasive species, is one of the worst, because of its fast growth and root-sucker production. It reaches the heart of protected areas and spreads everywhere in urban and peri-urban areas creating dense stands. As there are no official monitoring protocols for weed mapping, a method based on real-time global positioning system (GPS) on satellite maps was set up. Due to this method, the distribution, spread, size, density and harmfulness of A. altissima were assessed across the wide urban area of Bari (South Italy) by mapping all the individual plants and areas/stands of plants. In Bari, along a total of 76 km of roads mapped, 170 very large (diameter >18 cm), 231 large (diameter 8–18 cm), 130 medium (diameter 3–8 cm), 53 small (diameter < 3 cm) single plants, and 70 high, 63 medium and 13 low density areas were detected. This indicated that A. altissima (tree of heaven) was very widespread in the study area. Moreover, 35 types of damage or potential risks were recorded covering functional, environmental, health and safety and aesthetic aspects and then classified according to frequency and location. The real-time GPS method proved to be very useful for providing a speedy and accurate record of the data.

Identification of Quarries Rehabilitation Scenarios: A Case Study Within the Metropolitan Area of Bari (Italy)

This paper addresses quarries rehabilitation issue within a Metropolitan Area. Areas where mining activity is carried out have been subjected to physical and environmental degradation linked both to pursue the building materials extraction and to the city expansion continuously asking for new areas to be developed with residential and service functions. These changes also occurred where environmental and landscape values are present. It has been therefore pointed out the issue of such areas redevelopment that, to be functionally reintegrated, must be consistently linked to the activities and the territorial local contexts characteristics. In this paper the quarries reuse issue is carried out through parameters identification able to define the quarries relationship with the neighboring towns and with their surroundings besides to identify their physical, environmental and landscaping characteristics. Quarry reuse alternatives have been identified among those consistent with the rehabilitation goals, as defined by the planning sector and internationally approved, while their selection is derived from the application of a two-step methodology: a multi-criteria analysis related to punctual parameters at a "site-specific" level, followed by a further territorial indicators checking over the wide area. This application has led to socially accepted results identifying the examined quarries for reuses ranging from agricultural-forestry and urban to functional or naturalistic. The proposed method has also proved to be suitable to address the abandoned quarries reuse problem with a systemic and consultative approach, as it is able to correlate the many variables present in the social and spatial complexity of the Metropolitan Areas.

Carta geologica dell’area urbana di Bari in scala 1:25.000

Notes to the geological map of the urban area of Bari (southern Italy) 1:25.000 scale.This paper shows the results coming from the detailed geological mapping performed on the urban area of the city of Bari (Puglia region, southern Italy). It is a large area (about 50 km2), with many inhabited places, and intensely urbanized. For this reason a geological map that could provide an up-to-date and useful tool for professional geologists daily working on the region, was realized.The area represented in the geologic map of the urban area of the city of Bari, at the scale 1:25.000, lies on the eastern Murge, which represents the central part of the Apulian foreland, the south-Apennines foreland. In the Murge area, the foreland is characterized by a thick Mesozoic sedimentary succession overlain by relatively thin and discontinuous Quaternary deposits. Locally, the exposed Mesozoic succession is about 150 m thick, and is represented by a part of the Calcare di Bari Fm, made up of biopeloidal and peloidal wackestones/packstones alternated with stromatolitic bindstones with frequent intercalations of dolomitic limestones and grey dolostones. Depositional environments are related to a low-energy inner-platform depositional system and biostratigraphic data allowed us to refer the age of the succession cropping out in the city of Bari to the Late Albian-Early Cenomanian.The lower Pleistocene Calcarenite di Gravina Fm unconformably lies on the Calcare di Bari Fm. The lower boundary is transgressive and is locally marked by reddish residual deposits (terra rossa) and/or by brackish silty deposits passing upward to shallow-water calcarenites rich in bioclasts. Basically this formation is made up of litho-bioclastic calcarenites and calcirudites with packstone/grainstone texture, rich in mollusks, red algae, serpulids, echinoids and benthic foraminifers. The thickness of this unit ranges from few metres up to 20 m, and its depositional environments are related to alluvial or offshore systems. The age is early Pleistocene (Gelasian?-Calabrian). Regionally, the Calcarenite di Gravina Fm represents the record of the lower Pleistocene subsidence of the Apulia foreland.The Murge supersynthem groups all the marine terraced deposits unconformably lying on all older units and consists of a heterogeneous assemblage of mixed silicoclastic and carbonate sediments formed in shallow-marine and transitional environments. The thickness of the three synthems forming the supersynthem is usually few metres thick and the age ranges from middle to late Pleistocene. These synthems record a phase of regional uplift which started at least from middle Pleistocene; this uplift, in combination with the Pleistocene glacioeustatic oscillations, produced several relative sea-level changes which caused the distribution of these synthems to different altitudes above sea level.The lame delle Murge supersynthem groups all the terraced alluvial deposits cropping out in the studied area. These deposits unconformably lie on the previous units and are placed at different heights inside little canyons, characterizing the area and locally named lame. These deposits consist of either well cemented or poorly cemented carbonate conglomerates with a reddish silty-sandy matrix. The thickness of these deposits ranges from few metres up to 10 m and the age is middle Pleistocene-late Pleistocene.The picture is completed by upper Pleistocene-Holocene actual and present-day alluvial deposits, made up of carbonate gravels with reddish fine-grained matrix.