Learning objectives
The course aims to offer to the Students the knowledge of the main geological features and geological evolution of the Italian peninsula framed within the geology of Europe and Mediterranean area.
The Northern Apennines, the Southern Alps and the Po Plain will be particularly addressed.
At the end of the course, the Student will have to:
1) acquire the knowledge and understanding of the main steps of the geological evolution of the italian peninsula in the frame of the Mediterannean region;
2) make judgements of the geological framework in which a specific area is inserted and the relationships of this specific area with the surrounding area by integrating a personal or guided research of geological bibliography;
3) be able to communicate the acquired knowledge by realizing a oral presentation.
Prerequisites
Basic Stratigraphy, structural geology, tectonics
Course unit content
Classification of sedimentary basins related to lithospheric dynamics and plate tectonics.
Geology of Italy.
The Northern Apennines.
The Po Plain.
The Alps and the Southern Alps.
Fieldwork in selected area where the geological features will be observed, analyzed and discussed in order to reconstruct the geological evolution of the area; geological maps and publications on the geological evolution of the visited area will be also analyzed.
Full programme
Introduction: aims of the course; main arguments treated; managing/planning of the lessons, study materials and field work; textbooks and suggested texts; final exam and evaluation criteria.
Classification of sedimentary basins related to lithospheric dynamics and plate tectonics: Definition of sedimentary basin; Presents day distribution of sedimentary basins; Lithospheric processes controlling the formation of sedimentary basins; Quick review of the classifications of sedimentary basins before plate tectonics theory.
Classification of sedimentary basins as related to plate tectonics, plates movements and plates’ boundaries: sedimentary basins related to extensional tectonics; sedimentary basins related to compressional tectonics and lithospheric flexure; sedimentary basins related to transcurrent tectonics;
Sedimentary basins and Wilson Cycle.
Exercise on sedimentary basins classification.
Geology of Italy
Overview of the geological and geophysical characters: The Italian peninsula as a portion of the perimediterranean orogens; Main lithogical units of the Italian peninsula; The geological regions/provinces of Italy;
Seismicity, heatflow, crustal thickness, lithospheric thickness, gravity anomalies, geodesy and recent segmentation, lithpshere-mantle models (dynamic topography, mantle flows, subduction geometry, roll-back/slab-retreat) of Italian peninsula.
Main geological characters
Western Alps (main tectonic units and their geometry; main lithological units inside the tectonic units);
The Alps-Apennines boundary and the Sestri-Voltaggio Lineament;
The Tertiary Piedmont Basin and its relationships with the Alps-Apennines boundary and the Northern Apennines;
The Northern Apennines (main tectonic units and their geometry; main lithological units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Mesozoic paleogeography);
Corsica e Northern Tyrrhenian Sea (main tectonic units and their geometry; main lithological units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Mesozoic paleogeography) and their relationships with the Northern Apennines;
The Northern Apennines in the Umbro-Marche area and the adjacent Adriatic Foredeep (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic and metamorphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Mesozoic and Neogene paleogeography);
The Lazio-Abruzzi area and the Central Apennines (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Mesozoic paleogeography);
The Sardinia in between the Balearic-Algero Provencal and Tyrrhenian Basins (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic, igneous and metamorphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Neogene paleogeography);
The Southern Apennines (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Paleogene-Neogene paleogeography) and its relationships with Southern Tyrrhenian Sea;
The Southern Apennines and Northern Calabrian Units (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Paleogene-Neogene paleogeography) with comparison with the Northern Apennines;
From the Southern Apenniens to the Apulian Foreland (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic units inside the tectonic units; the Bradano foredeep; few hints on the Mesozoic paleogeography);
The Calabrian Arc and Calbrian Accretionary Wedge (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic and metamorphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Paleogene-Neogene paleogeography);
Sicily from the Maghrebian Chain to the Iblean Foreland and Sicily Channel (main tectonic units and their geometry; main stratigraphic units inside the tectonic units; few hints on the Mesozoic and Neogene paleogeography)
Exercise: Analysis of the Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 1:1.000.000 and recognition of the main geological characters of Italian peninsula.
The Northern Apennines
The Internal Ligurian Units (stratigraphic succession and associated sedimentary basins) (associated with fieldwork);
The External Ligurian Units (stratigraphic succession and associated sedimentary basins) (associated with fieldwork);
The Epiligurian Units and succession (stratigraphic succession and associated sedimentary basins) (associated with fieldwork);
The Subligurian Units (stratigraphic succession and associated sedimentary basins) (associated with fieldwork);
The Tuscan and Umbro-Marche Units (stratigraphic succession and associated sedimentary basins) and their relationships with the Subligurian and Epiligurian Units (associated with fieldwork);
The Apuan Alps (recosnstruction of the stratigraphic succession, metamorphism and exhumation) (optionally associated with fieldwork).
The Po Plain
The Northern Apennines foothills: the main tectonic structures and stratigraphic succession as derived by subsurface investigations (associated with fieldwork);
The central Po Plain (the Ferrara Arc, the Emilian Folds and Mesozoic to Pleistocene stratigraphic succession as derived by subsurface investigations).
The Southern Alps
Realtionships between Southern Alps and Alps; the Insubric/Periadriatic lineament; main tectonic structures (associated with fieldwork); main stratigraphic units (associated with fieldwork); main evolutionary stages form Mesozoic to Recent.
The Alps
The Central-Western Alps: the main tectonic units and their lateral geometrical variations; the main stratigraphic units and associated sedimentary basins; the main metamorphic units;
The Northern Alpine foreland/Molasse: the main stratigraphic units and their relationships with the evolution of the alpine chain;
The Jura Mountains: principali stili strutturali e unità stratigrafiche;
The Central-Eastern Alps: the main tectonic units and their lateral geometrical variations; the main stratigraphic units and associated sedimentary basins; the main metamorphic units;
The Eastern Alps: the main tectonic units and their lateral geometrical variations; the main stratigraphic units and associated sedimentary basins; the main metamorphic units; the Tauren and Engadine tectonic windows; contrasting lithospheric settings.
Paleogeographic reconstructions
Late Carboniferous to Albian (the formation of the Ligure-Piemontese Ocean and the Alpine Tethys);
Cenomanian to Santonian (subduction inception and associated basins);
Santoniano to Thanetian (the earlier orogens)
Thanetiano to Rupelian (the initial closure of the Ligure Piemontese Ocean, the Alps and the Appennines)
Oligocene to present days (development of the perimediterranean oroens and their partial dismemberment);
Comparison and discussion of different paleogeographic reconstructions from the literature.
Paleogeographic reconstrutions with software GPlates (in English) in the frame of the Widening International Didactics & Education (W.I.D.E.) Program
Field work
in area of the Alps, Southern Alps, Po Plain, Northern Apennines for analyzing 1) the main tectonic units and their geometries, 2) the main stratigraphic units and the associated sedimentary basins, 3) the regional geologic framework at differnt scales of observations, 4) geological constraints for the paleogeographic reconstructions at different time intervals.
Bibliography
ALLEN P.A., ALLEN J.R. (2013) – Basin analysis. Blackwell Publishing,Oxford, 3rd edition.
BOSELLINI A. (2005) – Storia geologica d’Italia. Zanichelli Ed., Bologna.
DOGLIONI C., FLORES G. (1997) - An introduction to the italian geology.
Lamisco, Potenza.
FRISCH W., MESCHEDE M., BLAKEY R.C. (2011) - Plate tectonics.
Continental drift and mountain building. Springer 1st Ed.
GASPERI G. (1995) - Geologia Regionale. Pitagora Ed., Bologna.
GELATI R. (2013) - Storia geologica del paese Italia. Diabasis Editore,Parma.
PFIFFNER O.A. (2014) - Geology of the Alps. Wiley-Blackwell, 368 pp.
GUIDE GEOLOGICHE REGIONALI - Guide 1-4-6-7. BEMA Ed., Milano.
Geological Maps of Servizio Geologico d’Italia and of various Authors related to various area of Italy.
Scientific papers related to spefic area or regional geological reconstructions.
Printed notes of seminar
Teaching methods
Lessons in classes with the aid of multimedia instruments;
Practical exercises on some of the arguments of the course;
Seminar on the use of software for paleogeographic reconstruction (in English with foreign Professor)
Fieldwork to analyze the geology of a specific area by observing outcropping rocks at various scales and with the aid of geological maps and scientific publications of the area. It will be also analyzed the geological framework which the area belongs to and the knowledge acquired in the classes will be applied.
Individual reading of scientific articles integrating the classes and the filedwork.
The lessons, the exercises and the suggested readings will be uploaded on the Elly platform or they can be requested to the Lecturer.
Assessment methods and criteria
Evaluation of the exercises before the final exams. The grade will be expressed in fraction of 30.
Oral exam with the preparation of a presentation about 45 minutes long; the presentation has to a) describe and analyze the geology of a specific area of Italy and the associated geological maps, b) frame the specific area into the regional geology of Italy.
The presentation will be evaluated based on:
1) outline of the arguments and ability to insert and treat the different arguments teached during the course (5 points);
2) knowledge of the geology (main stratigraphic units, main tectonic units, main tectonic features) of the specific area (10 points);
3) skill in framing the specific area in the geological framework, at various scales, of the italian peninsula (15 points).
The grade will be expressed in fraction of 30.
The final grade will be the arithmetic average of the grades obtained in the exercises and in the oral exam.
Other information
The course might be reorganized in the case the pandemic situation will persist.
