GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAP OF TREMITI ISLANDS
( P U G L I A , S O U T H E R N A D R I AT I C S E A , I TA LY )
Scale 1:15.000
Ud A
degli Studi “G. d’Annunz
versità
io”
i
n
U
E n r i c o M i c c a d e i , T o m m a s o Piacentini, Francesco Mascioli
U n i v e r s i t a ’ d e g l i S t u d i “ G. d ’ A n n u n z i o ” C h i e t i - P e s c a r a
L a b o r a t o r y o f Te c t o n i c g e o m o r p h o l o g y a n d G I S - I N G E O D i p a r t i m e n t o d i I n g e g n e r i a e G e o l o g i a
[email protected] - [email protected]
INTRODUCTION
STUDY AREA
The Tremiti Islands lie in the central-southern Adriatic Sea, in northern Apulia, at about 20 km north from Gargano promontory coast. It includes
San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia and Cretaccio islands, and La Vecchia rock; Pianosa island, also belonging to the archipelago, is 11 miles
away from the main ones towards NE. Being located around the centre of the Adriatic basin, and facing the junction between central and southern
Apennines, the islands lie in a complex geological area, crucial for the study of Quaternary Adriatic basin evolution, strongly driven by eustatic
processes and tectonics along well known regional faults. The archipelago is the emerged part of one of the main structural highs within the
Adriatic basin, well studied for erosional/depositional processes on the continental shelf due to Late Quaternary tectonics and eustatic sea-level
changes.
A detailed integrative geomorphological analysis in the Tremiti Islands, on both the islands and the inner continental shelf around the islands,
enabled the elaboration of a geomorphological map (1:15,000 scale) of above and below sea level areas.
The Geomorphological map of the Tremiti Islands (Puglia, Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy), scale 1:15,000, incorporates three main sections:
1)
main geomorphological map and legend (center and left on the Map);
2)
geomorphological profiles and morphostratigraphic correlation of Quaternary continental deposits (lower part of the Map);
3)
geomorphological block diagrams and figures (right on the Map);
The study characterizes deposits and erosion surfaces of the Quaternary continental succession, outlining some new chronological constraints;
main tectonic and geomorphological features, in surface and underwater area, are defined. The geomorphological and stratigraphical data analysis
allowed the reconstruction of morphostratigraphic relationships between the islands; moreover, the correlation with tectonic features allowed the
recostruction of morphotectonic setting of the archipelago.
At local scale, this correlation has provided a contribution to the reconstruction of Late Quaternary landscape and geomorphological evolution,
as the result of tectonics, sea-level fluctuations and marine, coastal, and continental geomorphological processes.
At a regional scale, this study provides new data useful for the reconstruction of foreland area Quaternary evolution, due to the relationships
between tectonic and eustatic processes, as well as clues and contributions for the correlation to coastal and piedmont areas. Discussion and
conclusion coming from this analysis has been presented in two specific research paper on international journals.
N
dg
e
n
Cretaccio
4650000
20
Cala del
Caffè
San Domino
Side scan sonar survey
0
10
Bathimetry
Scale 1:15.000
Gargano
Main Quaternary
fault systems
Structural highs
Mattinata Fault
500000
0
0
10 km
Coordinate system UTM 33N-WGS84
550000
600000
538500
NW
CB
Z
D
D
Br
D
-5 D Faro di
Capraia
B
B
B 11.0
Punta Secca
17.5
Capraia
ES
-35
29.5
CB
SE
b
c
2.6
-5
12.3
SW
a
b
B
8.2
NE
Quaternary continental deposits and tectonical features. a) San Domino, Cala degli Inglesi, stratified breccia (Br), formed
of decimetrical and centimetrical clasts, in lightly cemented red-brown sandy matrix, laying on an erosive surface, within
pre-existent depressed morphologies, on Cenozoic carbonate bedrock (CB). In the higher part outcrops calcretes (Cr), about
0.7-0.8 m thick. b) San Domino, Poggio Romito, visible E-W fault plain on carbonate bedrock.
22.3
N
-10
B
Journal of Maps, 2012
Gli Scoglietti
Cala
Sorrentino
QUATERNARY SUCCESSION
B
B
B
Z
Marine areas
Cr
40.4
B
c
B
U n i v e r s i t à d e g l i St u d i d i C a g l i a r i
Z
Cala
dei Turchi
543500
U n i v e r s i t a ’ d e g l i S t u d i “ G. d ’ A n n u n z i o ” C h i e t i - P e s c a r a
D I S T E R D i p a r t i m e n t o d i S c i e n z e d e l l a Te r r a
-60
-30
24.5
INGEO Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Geologia
L a b o r a t o r y o f Te c t o n i c g e o m o r p h o l o g y a n d G I S
[email protected]
[email protected]
Gravel (Gr)
-28
-30
Sand (Sn)
16.4
-24
Punta dello
Straccione
-23
CB
Z
2
BB
-55
41.6
1000 m
Coordinate system UTM 33N-WGS84
541000
Z Z
B
B
Diving survery sites
20
M i c c a d e i E . 1 , Orrù P.2, Piacentini T.1, M a s c i o l i F. 1 , P u l i g a G 2 .
Z
Z
Z
Termoli
Z
-8
B
A'
Z
B
B
40
( P u g l i a , S o u t h e r n A d r i a t i c S e a , I ta l y )
la
co
Ni
Z
B
Tremiti I.
Sa
Z
Z
B
Ri
Z
a
-54
Z
0
80
G e o m o r p h o l o g i c a l m a p o f Tr e m i t i I s l a n d s
os
Pianosa I.
0
10
lag
B
Pe
B
ge
METHODS
b
Cr
Capraia
Rid
Central Adriatic
12
1
ni
Z
ea
Rome
na
B
S
Tremiti
Islands
4663300
llig
c
U N I V E R S I T A ’ D E G L I S T U D I “ G. d ’ A n n u n z i o ” C h i e t i - P e s c a r a
INGEO Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Geologia
L a b o r a t o r y o f Te c t o n i c g e o m o r p h o l o g y a n d G I S
4700000
Ga
B
y an
d G IS
ol
h
B
rp
ti
ic g e o m o
ia
to n
dr
of
og
A
L ab o r a t o r y
Te
c
N
4665800
GMS G
I
S
L
a
AB
Punta del
Cimitero
Silt (Sl)
50
Continental areas
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
65.9
3.1
B
-20
19.7
B
30.3
-5
30.5
2.8
Geomorphological features. a) Capraia island, inner margin of flat surface obbved by bathymetrical analysis, at about 20
m b.s.l. b) Metric sub-rounded coastal rockpools, at 8 m b.s.l.
B
B
-4
1.5
-24
B 33.3
40.1
-10 Cala degli Inglesi
56.0
70.2
1.5
39.7
B
B
S trata attitude
B
B
58.2
B
31.2
Punta Vuccolo
Fault
B
B
B
-25
TECTONICS
19.3
B
16.8
Cala della
Tramontana
12.2
22.1
B
21.6
B
i Pagliai
San Nicola
B
B
76.2
b
B
CARBONATE BEDROCK
Dolomites, dolomitic limestone,
calcarenitic limestone and marls (CB)
Paleogene-Pliocene
30.2
18.7
a
a
B
B
24.8
Scoglio
la Vecchia
B
12.7
-15
-5
B
Breccia, paleosoils, conglomerates, red loess
(Br,Ps,Cg,Ls,Br1,Ps1,Cg1)
Middle Pleistocene
Cretaccio
B
Cala Tamariello
B
31.2
50.1
B
B
-11
Calcretes (Cr)
Upper Pleistocene
-4
-11
B
B
Aeolian sands (As)
Upper Pleistocene
B
Punta del
Diamante
B
Eluvium-colluviam,soils (S)
Holocene
Geomorphological features. a) San Domino, karst pothole in the north-east sector of the island, with calcretes on top (Cr);
dashed line indicates a tectonic discontinuity, characterized by NW-SE fault planes and cataclastic rocks. b) San Domino
island, submerged cave at 10 m b.s.l.
70.7
B
B
24.7
B
B
50
31.8
Buried fault
a
Inferred fault
34.7
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES
Slope gravity landforms
Landslide deposits
51.2
San Domino
6.7
46.8
Grotta delle
Rondinelle
6.8
16.7
4.7
Cala Matano
55.4
43.7
-49
Paleolandslide deposits
Punta
Secca
Fluvial landforms
14.0
0.7
49.0
-18
B
-62
B
B
80.1
0.4
Morpho-lithostratigraphic scheme of the Quaternary continental deposits
-25
B
97.6
B
19.6
112.7
27.5
B
Cave
B
B
Karst landforms
51.7
B
l'Architiello
Fluvial paleoincision
a
This work is based on a detailed geomorphological analysis of the Tremiti
Islands and of the inner continental shelf sea bottom around them, from
coastline to about 70 m b.s.l., incorporating: (1) field mapping of Quaternary
continental deposits and landforms, supported by U/Th and OSL dating,
(2) bathymetric analysis, (3) side scan sonar survey and (4) scuba-dive
geomorphological mapping.
The field mapping study was carried out by means of a geological survey
of Quaternary continental deposits (1:5,000 scale), allowing for the
construction of detailed lithostratigraphic logs for each island, and
geomorphological survey (1: 5,000 scale, and 1:1,000 for the most significant
areas). Dating of a calcrete and an aeolian deposit supported the
morpholithostratigraphic correlation of the deposits among the different
islands.
Bathymetric analysis has been performed processing and interpolating
data from nautical cartography of Istituto Idrografico Militare, Piano Nautico
n. 204 ‘Isole Tremiti e Pianosa’ (1:15,000 scale). The resulting map has
a detail that enables the analysis of the main morphological features and
to discriminate flat areas and scarps.
Bathymetric data allowed for plan geomorphological survey of an area of
about 9 km2, carried out by means of a side scan sonar records (1:5,000
scale), during the years of 2006 and 2007.
Scuba-dive geomorphological mapping, up to a depth of 50 m b.s.l., allowed
for detailed direct observation of inner continental shelf landforms (1:1,000
scale) and the observation of the below sea-level cliff portion and caves,
enabling side scan sonar record calibration and improvement.
Submerged cave
Karst depression and doline
27.4
B
B B
-70
B
B
B
Marine landforms
Cliff edge
-5
-40
Grotta
delle Viole
25
Cliff foot
A
B
Z
B
Z
Shoreplatform
b
-50
58.9
32.4
-64
San Domino. Block diagram of "I Pagliai" active cliff, in the north-eastern sector of island. Lithology: CB- Carbonate
bedrock (Paleocene-Pliocene); Cr-Calcrete (Upper Pleistocene); Gr-Gravelly and sandy deposits (Holocene). Tectonics:
F-Fault with visible plan; ct-Cataclastic rocks; J-Joints. Landscape: a-Rockfall landslides deposits; b-Detritic fans; cCaves; d-Dolines; e-Active cliff; f-Shore platform; g-Rocks and stacks; h-Rockpools.
Grotta
del Sale
B
Grotta del
Bue Marino
Scoglio
dell'Elefante
-65
4.5
Punta di
Zio Cesare
-20
Underwater isolated rock
Emerged rocks and stack
Rockpool
-45
Alluvial fan
0
Marine erosion surface 8 m b.s.l.
Marine erosion surface 20 m b.s.l.
1000 m
Capraia. Block diagram of northern sector. Lithology: CB-Carbonate bedrock (Paleocene-Pliocene); Br,Ps,Cg-Breccia,
paleosoils, conglomerates, red loess (Middle-Upper Pleistocene); Sl-Silty deposits (Holocene). Tectonics: F-Fault.
Landscape: a-Landslide deposits; b-Landslide surface; c-Caves; d-Dolines; e-A ctive cliff; f-Marine erosion surfaces; gShelf seaweeds.
Coordinate system UTM 3 3 N - WGS84
Topographic data courtesy of Cartographic Office Regione Puglia (http://www.sit.puglia.it/)
Marine erosion surface 55 m b.s.l.
c
Bathymetric contourlines interpolated from Piano Nautico n. 204
"Isole Tremiti e Pianosa" - Istituto Idrografico Militare
Features connected to biological activity
Posidonia oceanica
Continental shelf seaweed
QUATERNARY SUCCESSION
Marine areas
U/Th
Eluvium-colluvium,soils (S)
Holocene
OSL
Aeolian sands (As)
Upper Pleistocene
[
Coastline
Submerged photograph location
Block diagram point of view
Breccia, paleosoils, conglomerates,
red loess (Br,Ps,Cg,Ls,Br1,Ps1,Cg1)
Middle Pleistocene
CARBONATE BEDROCK
Dolomites, dolomitic limestone,
calcarenitic limestone and marls (CB)
Paleogene-Pliocene
A'
NE WSW
ESE SW
Erosion surface ES4
(Holocene)
NE
100
100
Cretaccio
Erosion surface ES1
(Middle Pleistocene)
sea level
0
Erosion surface ES3
(Upper Pleistocene)
Erosion surface ES2
(Final Middle Pleistocene)
Capraia
Calcretes (Cr)
Upper Pleistocene
Other symbols
[
San Domino
Gravel
Continental areas
Dating
A
SW
0
m
m
0
1000 m
Karst depression
and doline
Fault
Block diagram of area between San Domino and Capraia islands. Lithology: CB-Carbonate bedrock (Paleocene-Pliocene);
Br1,Ps1,Cg1-Conglomerates and paleosoils (Late Middle Pleistocene); Sn-Sandy deposits (Holocene); Sl-Silty deposits
(Holocene); ES-Erosive surface. Tectonics: F-Faults. Landscape: a-Landslide deposits; b-Karst dissolution landforms,
dolines and minor depressions (Eocene-Upper Pleistocene); c-Karst littoral submerged caves (Eocene-Upper Pleistocene);
d-Marine surface at 8 m b.s.l. (Holocene); e-Marine surface at 25 m b.s.l. (Upper Pleistocene); f-Marine surface at 5055 m b.s.l. (Holocene); g-Incisions (Upper Pleistocene-Holocene); h-Paleodrainage (Late Middle Pleistocene).
da: Miccadei E., Orrù P., Piacentini T., Mascioli F. & Puliga G. (2012) - "Geomorphological map of the Tremiti Islands (Puglia, Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy), scale 1:15,000". Journal of Maps, vol.8, pp.74-87, 2012.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17445647.2012.668765
QUATERNARY CONTINENTAL DEPOSITS
MAIN TECTONIC ELEMENTS
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES
SUBMERGED LANDFORMS
Geomorphological features on the islands (the abbreviations refer to the Morpholithostratigraphic scheme included in the map). (a) Capraia, partially submerged karst
pothole, along the southern coast of the island; (b) San Domino, karst pothole in the
north-east sector of the island, with calcretes on top; dashed line indicates a tectonic
discontinuity, characterized by NW-SE fault planes and cataclastic rocks; (c) San
Domino, pothole at Cala delle Roselle, partially filled by aeolian sands (AS); (d) San
Domino, karst cave at sea-level.
GMS G
B
I
A
to n
ol
of
Te
c
og
L a b or a tory
y an
d G IS
S
L
Quaternary continental deposits (the abbreviations refer to the Morpho-lithostratigraphic
scheme included in the map). (a) San Domino, Cala degli Inglesi, stratified breccia,
formed of decimetric and centimetric clasts, in lightly cemented red-brown sandy
matrix, laying on an erosion surface, within pre-existent depressed morphologies,
on Cenozoic carbonate bedrock. In the higher part calcrete outcrops are about 0.70.8 m thick; (b) San Domino, Cala delle Roselle, stratified breccia with sub-angular
centimetric clasts, laying on carbonate bedrock; (c) San Domino, Cala delle Roselle,
yellow aeolian sand within a karst depression, with a particular of the fossiliferous
content formed of continental gastropods; (d) Capraia, Cala dei Turchi, paleosols
and calcretes, in contact with carbonate bedrock; (e) San Nicola, breccia, paleosols
and conglomerates, stratified in about 0.25 m thick layers; in the lower left a close
up of the deposits is included; (f) Cretaccio, calcrete in angular discordance on
carbonate bedrock, age is 121 ±21 kyr (U/Th dating).
rp
ic g e o m o
h
Main tectonic elements (the abbreviations refer to the Morpho-lithostratigraphic
scheme included in the map). (a) San Domino, I Pagliai, intensely tectonic area,
characterized by NW-SE-oriented fault surfaces and cataclastic rocks; (b) Capraia,
NW-SE-oriented faults; (c) Cretaccio, NE-SW-oriented faults, characterized by
cataclastic rocks; (d) San Domino, Poggio Romito, visible E-W fault plain on carbonate
bedrock; (e) San Domino, Cala Tramontana, sigmoid structure indicating right strikeslip kinematic (plan view); (f) San Nicola, tectonic contact between Miocene limestone
and marl, in the southeast sector of San Nicola.
Submerged landforms surveyed by scuba-dive observations on the inner continental
shelf (numbers indicates depth); (a) Capraia island, incisions and erosional features,
between sea-level and about 20 m b.s.l.; (b) San Domino island, detritic fan with
centimetric and decimetric calcareous elements, sub-rounded, fossilized by algal
fouling. Fan apex is located at about 8 m b.s.l.; the toe lies on the flat marine erosion
surface at 20 m b.s.l.; (c) San Domino island, cave at sea-level extending down to
8 m b.s.l.; (d) San Domino island, submerged cave at 10 m b.s.l.; (e) Capraia island,
flat surface developed between 20 and 25 m b.s.l.; (f) Capraia island, inner margin
of flat marine erosion surface observed by bathymetric analysis, at about 20 m b.s.l.;
(g) Capraia island, shore platform at 8 m b.s.l.; (h) Metric sub-rounded coastal
rockpools, at 8 m b.s.l.
CONCLUSIONS
The Geomorphological map of the Tremiti Islands, scale 1:15,000, is the result of the integrative geomorphological analysis presented in this work, on both the islands and the inner continental
shelf around them. This analysis has provided several elements for the comprehension of the Quaternary continental deposits and geomorphological features, and of the Pleistocene
landscape evolution of the archipelago. Quaternary continental deposits and geomorphological features are summarized in the morpho-litostratigraphic scheme, in the geomorphological
profile and in the block diagrams included in the map (lower and lower-right section).
The interpretation of new stratigraphical, geomorphological, chronological data, compared with previous studies in the surrounding areas, indicates a correlation (from islands to inner
continental shelf) of subaerial erosion surfaces (ES1, ES2, ES3, ES4) and paleo sea-levels with sea level change curve, allowing for an integration of the limited information existing in this
area. The main subaerial erosion surfaces, following the oldest one on carbonate bedrock (ES1), are ascribed to late Middle Pleistocene (ES2), Upper Pleistocene (ES3) and Upper PleistoceneHolocene (ES4). Subaerial erosional processes are evident also in the continental shelf areas, where erosion surfaces bound the transgressive/regressive depositional sequences of the
Quaternary marine succession; these surfaces are strongly controlled by eustatic sea-level changes and are refereable to subaerial exposure of platform during final Middle Pleistocene
and Upper Pleistocene sea-level lowstands and Holocene rise.
Furthermore, the correlation between landform distribution, Quaternary deposits, tectonic features, and eustatic interpretation of morphogenetic processes, provides a new contribution
concerning regional tectonics. The SE-NW paleodrainage networks developed during Late Middle Pleistocene (ES2) and Late Upper Pleistocene (ES4) lowstands were followed by tectonic
activity during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene, along E-W and SW-NE regional discontinuities. These features have lowered the area between Tremiti and Gargano, beheading the SENW Middle Pleistocene fluvial drainage and inducing a strong evolution of the landscape.
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Laboratory of Tectonic Geomorphology and GIS - G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti Pescara