Search Results (8)

Our research focuses on the reconstruction of turbidity paleocurrents of the Cilento Group in the Cilento area (southern Apennines, Italy). These deposits were formed in the wedge-top basin above the oceanic Ligurian Accretionary Complex, the early orogenic wedge of the southern Apennines. The Cilento Group succession, whose age ranges between the uppermost Burdigalian and lowermost Tortonian, consists of a thick pile of sandstones, conglomerates, marls and pelites grouped in two formations (Pollica and San Mauro Fms). We retrieved information on the turbidity current directions through sedimentary features such as flute and groove casts, flame structures and ripple marks. The aim of this study is to shed light on the early tectonic evolution of the southern Apennines by reconstructing the geometry of this basin, the source areas that fed it and the paleogeography of the central Mediterranean area in the Miocene. We analyzed 74 sites in both formations and collected 338 measurements of paleocurrent indicators. Because the succession was affected by severe thrusting and folding, every paleocurrent measurement was restored, reinstating the bedding in the horizontal attitude. Results indicate a complex pattern of turbidity current flow directions consistent with a basin model fed by a spectrum of sources, including recycled clasts from the Ligurian Accretionary Complex, Calabria–Peloritani Terrane and the Apennine Platform units and volcaniclastics from the synorogenic volcanoes located in the Sardinia block. Full article

Globally, deep-water reservoir systems are comprised of a variety of traps. Lateral and downdip trapping features include sand pinch-outs, truncation against salt or shale diapirs, and monoclinal dip or faulting with any combination of trapping designs; the potential for massive hydrocarbon accumulations exists, representing significant exploration prospects across the planet. However, deep-water turbidites and submarine fans are two different types of traps, which are developed along the upslope and the basin floor fans. Among these two traps, the basin floor fans are the most prolific traps as they are not influenced by sea-level rise, which distorts the seismic signals, and hence provides ambiguous seismic signatures to predict them as hydrocarbon-bearing zones for future explorations. Therefore, the deep-water channel-levee sand systems and basin floor fans sandstone define economically viable stratigraphic plays. The subsurface variability is significant, and hence, characterizing the thick (porous) channelized-basin floor fans reservoir is a challenge for the exploitation of hydrocarbons. This study aims to develop seismic-based attributes and wedge modeling tools to accurately resolve and characterize the porous and gas-bearing reservoirs using high-resolution seismic-based profiles, in SW Pakistan. The reflection strength slices better delineate the geomorphology of sand-filled channelized-basin floor fans as compared to the instant frequency magnitudes. This stratigraphic prospect has an area of 1180 km². The sweetness magnitudes predict the thickness of channelized-basin floor fans as 33 m, faults, and porous lithofacies that complete a vital petroleum system. The wedge modeling also acts as a direct hydrocarbon indicator (DHI) and, hence, should be incorporated into conventional stratigraphic exploration schemes for de-risking stratigraphic prospects. The wedge model resolves a 26-m thick hydrocarbon-bearing channelized-basin floor fans lens with a lateral distribution of ~64 km. Therefore, this wedge model provides ~75% correlation of the thickness of the LSL as measured by sweetness magnitudes. The thickness of shale that serves as the top seal is 930 m, the lateral mud-filled canyons are 1190 m, and the thick bottom seal is ~10 m, which provides evidence for the presence of a vibrant petroleum play. Hence, their reveals bright opportunities to exploit the economically vibrant stratigraphic scheme inside the OIB and other similar global depositional systems. Full article

The polyphase structural evolution of a sector of the internal Central Apennines, where the significance of pelagic deposits atop neritic carbonate platform and active margin sediments has been long debated, is here documented. The results of a new geological survey in the Volsci Range, supported by new stratigraphic constraints from the syn-orogenic deposits, are integrated with the analysis of 2D seismic reflection lines and available wells in the adjacent Latin Valley. Late Cretaceous syn-sedimentary faults are documented and interpreted as steps linking a carbonate platform to the adjacent pelagic basin, located to the west. During Tortonian time, the pelagic deposits were squeezed off and juxtaposed as mélange units on top of the carbonate platform. Subsurface data highlighted stacked thrust sheets that were first involved into an initial in-sequence propagation with top-to-the-ENE, synchronous to late Tortonian foredeep to wedge-top sedimentation. We distinguish up to four groups of thrust faults that occurred during in-sequence shortening (thrusts 1–3; about 55–60 km) and backthrusting (thrust 4). During Pliocene to recent times, the area has been uplifted and subsequently extended by normal faults cross-cutting the accretionary wedge. Beside regional interest, our findings bear implications on the kinematic evolution of an orogenic wedge affected by far-traveled units. Full article

The natural emission of methane-rich fluids from the seafloor, known as cold seepage, is a widespread process at modern continental margins. The studies on present-day cold seepages provide high-resolution datasets regarding the fluid plumbing system, biogeochemical processes in the sediment, seafloor seepage distribution and ecosystems. However, the long-term (hundreds of thousands to millions of years) evolution of cold seepage remains elusive. The identification and study of outcrop analogous now exposed on land represent a valuable method for better understanding the effects of geological processes and climate forcing on the development of cold seepage systems. Here, we provide an overview on Miocene seep-carbonate deposits of the northern Apennines (from Emilia to the Umbria-Marchean sector, Italy), based on decades of field research integrated with detailed sedimentological and geochemical investigations. We report a total of 13 seep-carbonate outcrops, which formed in three different structural settings of the paleo-accretionary wedge corresponding to wedge-top basins, outer slope and intrabasinal highs at the deformational front. We discuss the recurring lithostratigraphic occurrence of seep deposits and the main compositional features (carbonate facies, carbon and oxygen stable isotopes) in order to interpret the seepage dynamics, duration and infer the contribution of methane-rich fluids released by paleo-gas hydrates. The datasets presented in this study represent a valuable complete record of cold seepage spanning ~12 Myr, that can be used to better understand factors controlling the regional-scale spatial and temporal evolution of cold seepage systems at modern active continental margins. Full article

The Cenozoic Malaguide Basin from Sierra Espuña (Internal Betic Zone, S Spain) due to the quality of outcropping, areal representation, and continuity in the sedimentation can be considered a key-basin. In the last 30 years, a large number of studies with very different methodological approaches have been done in the area. Models indicate an evolution from passive margin to wedge-top basin from Late Cretaceous to Early Miocene. Sedimentation changes from limestone platforms with scarce terrigenous inputs, during the Paleocene to Early Oligocene, to the deep basin with huge supplies of turbidite sandstones and conglomerates during the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene. The area now appears structured as an antiformal stack with evidence of synsedimentary tectonics. The Cenozoic tectono-sedimentary basin evolution is related to three phases: (1) flexural tectonics during most of the Paleogene times to create the basin; (2) fault and fold compartmentation of the basin with the creation of structural highs and subsiding areas related to blind-fault-propagation folds, deforming the basin from south to north during Late Oligocene to Early Aquitanian times; (3) thin-skin thrusting tectonics when the basin began to be eroded during the Late Aquitanian-Burdigalian. In recent times some works on the geological heritage of the area have been performed trying to diffuse different geological aspects of the sector to the general public. A review of the studies performed and the revisiting of the area allow proposing different key-outcrops to follow the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Cenozoic basin from this area. Eight sites of geological interest have been selected (Cretaceous-Cenozoic boundary, Paleocene Mula Fm, Lower Eocene Espuña-Valdelaparra Fms, Middle Eocene Malvariche-Cánovas Fms, Lowermost Oligocene As Fm, Upper Oligocene-Lower Aquitanian Bosque Fm, Upper Oligocene-Aquitanian Río Pliego Fm, Burdigalian El Niño Fm) and an evaluation has been performed to obtain four parameters: the scientific value, the educational and touristic potential, and the degradation risk. The firsts three parameters obtained values above 50 being considered of “high” or “very high” interest (“very high” in most of the cases). The last parameter shows always values below 50 indicating a “moderate” or “low” risk of degradation. The obtained values allow us considering the tectono-sedimentary evolution of this basin worthy of being proposed as a geological heritage. Full article

We present a structural study on the tectonic windows of Giffoni and Campagna, located in the western sector of the southern Apennines (Italy). We analyzed thrusts, folds, and related minor deformation structures. Here, a major in-sequence E-verging thrust fault juxtaposes Meso-Cenozoic successions of the Apennine Platform (Picentini Mts unit) and the Lagonegro-Molise Basin (Frigento unit). However, out-of-sequence thrusts duplicated the tectonic pile with the interposition of the upper Miocene wedge-top basin deposits of the Castelvetere Group. We reconstructed the orogenic evolution of these two tectonic windows, including five deformation phases. The first (D1) was related to the in-sequence thrusting with minor thrusts and folds, widespread both in the footwall and the hanging wall. A subsequent extension (D2) has formed normal faults crosscutting the D1 thrusts and folds. All structures were subsequently affected by two shortening stages (D3 and D4), which also deformed the upper Miocene wedge top basin deposits of the Castelvetere Group. We interpreted the D3–D4 structures as related to an out-of-sequence thrust system defined by a main frontal E-verging thrust and lateral ramps characterized by N and S vergences. Low-angle normal faults were formed in the hanging wall of the major thrusts. Out-of-sequence thrusts are observed in the whole southern Apennines, recording a crustal shortening event that occurred in the late Messinian–early Pliocene. Finally, we suggest that the two tectonic windows are the result of the formation of an E–W trending regional antiform, associated with a late S-verging back-thrust, that has been eroded and crosscut by normal faults (D5) in the Early Pleistocene. Full article

We present a structural study on late Miocene-early Pliocene out-of-sequence thrusts affecting the southern Apennine orogenic belt. The analyzed structures are exposed in the Campania region (southern Italy). Here, thrusts bound the N-NE side of the carbonate ridges that form the regional mountain backbone. In several outcrops, the Mesozoic carbonates are superposed onto the unconformable wedge-top basin deposits of the upper Miocene Castelvetere Group, providing constraints to the age of the activity of this thrusting event. Moreover, a 4-km-long N-S oriented electrical resistivity tomography profile, carried out along the Caserta mountains, sheds light on the structure of this thrust system in an area where it is not exposed. Further information was carried out from a tunnel excavation that allowed us to study some secondary fault splays. The kinematic analysis of out-of-sequence major and minor structures hosted both in the hanging wall (Apennine Platform carbonates) and footwall (Castelvetere Group deposits and Lagonegro-Molise Basin units) indicates the occurrence of two superposed shortening directions, about E-W and N-S, respectively. We associated these compressive structures to an out-of-sequence thrusting event defined by frontal thrusts verging to the east and lateral ramp thrusts verging to the north and south. We related the out-of-sequence thrusting episode to the positive inversion of inherited normal faults located in the Paleozoic basement. These envelopments thrust upward to crosscut the allochthonous wedge, including, in the western zone of the chain, the upper Miocene wedge-top basin deposits. Full article

The strong morphological similitude of the block-in-matrix fabric of chaotic rock units (mélanges and broken formations) makes problematic the recognition of their primary forming-processes. We present results of the comparison between magnetic fabric and mesoscale structural investigations of non-metamorphic tectonic, sedimentary, and polygenetic mélanges in the exhumed Late Cretaceous to early Eocene Ligurian accretionary complex and overlying wedge-top basin succession in the Northern Apennines (northwest Italy). Our findings show that the magnetic fabric reveals diagnostic configurations of principal anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) axes orientation that are well comparable with the mesoscale block-in-matrix fabric of mélanges formed by different processes. Broken formations and tectonic mélanges show prolate and neutral-to-oblate ellipsoids, respectively, with magnetic fabric elements being consistent with those of the mesoscale anisotropic “structurally ordered” block-in-matrix fabric. Sedimentary mélanges show an oblate ellipsoid with a clear sedimentary magnetic fabric related to downslope gravitational emplacement. Polygenetic mélanges show the occurrence of a cumulative depositional and tectonic magnetic fabric. The comparison of field and laboratory investigations validate the analysis of magnetic features as a diagnostic tool suitable to analytically distinguish the contribution of different mélange forming-processes and their mutual superposition, and to better understand the geodynamic evolution of subduction-accretion complexes. Full article