Geology of the central Apennines: a regional review

The Meso-Cenozoic stratigraphical successions that crop out in central Italy are part of the sedimentary developed on the southern Neotethyan passive margin. On the previous Late Triassic shallow-water carbonate, a basin-platform system developed in the area as a consequence of a rifting stage that affected the whole region during the Middle Liassic. The palaeogeography related to the basin-platform system was until early Tertiary time. the late Miocene, the central portion of the Apennine palaeogeographical domain was involved in the of a post-collisional orogenic system, consisting of a thrust-belt/foredeep couple migrating toward more domains. central Apennine palaeogeographical domains were located on a peri-cratonic region, which experienced several events in response to the Neogene tectonic interaction between the European and African plates, leading to peri-Mediterranean orogeny. In particular, during the post middle-Tortonian orogenic phases of the Apennines, the microplate played a significant role. Interactions between its boundaries and the surrounding continental plates the evolution of the Adria-verging orogenic system. These plate interactions caused the building of both the and of the Dinaric segments of the peri-Mediterranean chain. structural setting of the Apennine tectonic units is similar to other post-collisional thrust-belts, and consists of and cover thrust-sheets developed in an ensialic context. The geometry of the chain, the diachronism of the migrating foredeep basins, and the different ages of the forethrusts are consistent with a regional foreland model for the central Apennines.