What is it about?
The morphological evolution of a carbonate fault line scarp from southern Italy, evolved by slope replacement, has been reconstructed. C14 dating of faulted slope deposits have been performed to constrain the Late Pleistocene — Holocene evolution of the scarp. Morphostructural analysis showed that the oldest displacement was generated by a fault with a reverse component of movement, then re-activated as a normal fault.
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Why is it important?
The envelope of the slope foot appears slightly curved in a planimetric view and shows an offset in its southern part, making such a feature quite different from the recurrent rectilinear fault scarps, often related to normal faulting. Long- to short-term denudation rates have been also evaluated for the understanding of the mountain front origin. The oldest dis-placement was generated by a fault with a reverse component of movement. The slope represents an inherited feature, only recently exhumed, and developed starting from a high-angle curved surface.
Perspectives
The upper Pleistocene — Holocene extensional faulting has only affected the slope foot and associated waste deposits, causing a series of collateral morphological effects, as fluvial cut of pre-existing valleys and the genesis of diffuse landslides. Further studies are needed to better relate tectonic activity and mass movements.
Prof. Marcello Schiattarella
Basilicata University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Age constraints and denudation rate of a multistage fault line scarp: an example from Southern Italy, Geochronometria, January 2014, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.2478/s13386-013-0158-x.
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