Karst morphology and cave sediments as indicators of the uplift history in the Alpi Apuane (Tuscany, Italy)
Introduction
The Alpi Apuane are situated in northern Tuscany (Italy), where they rise abruptly from the Tyrrhenian coastal plain (Fig. 1). The region is one of the most spectacular high-relief areas in Europe, with several peaks exceeding 1800 m in elevation. The timing of both the uplift of the Apuane and the exhumation of its metamorphic core has stimulated much research over the last few decades (Carmignani and Kligfield, 1990; Abbate et al., 1994), and has major implications for regional tectonic history and landscape evolution (Bartolini et al., 1982). However, the uplift history is not well understood. The geomorphology and chronology of karst caves is one source of evidence that can help resolve issues of uplift history and landscape development (Palmer, 1991). In this paper, we use elevation and age data from dewatered phreatic cave passages to constrain periods of tectonic standstill, rates of incision and minimum ages of former valley-floor elevations.
Section snippets
Regional geomorphology and geology
The Alpi Apuane massif consists principally of a NW–SE trending ridge extending for 32 km approximately parallel to the Northern Appennines, which is part of the main mountain chain that runs the length of the Italian peninsula. The massif consists of three tectonic units that were overthrusted, one upon the other, during the Upper Oligocene (Carmignani and Kligfield, 1990). Two of these units make up a single metamorphic complex of carbonate to terrigenous formations, which have been overlapped
Apuane karst, cave levels and landscape evolution
Surface karst landforms are not well developed in the Apuane because the high relief and regional climatic conditions (i.e. high temperature excursions and rainfall up to 3500 mm/year) enhance mechanical-denudation processes. In particular, mechanical erosion must have been very active during the last glacial and postglacial phases, destroying most of the pre-Würm surface karst landforms. Only in some restricted low-relief areas are small to medium-scale karst landforms (e.g. karren) found (
The use of speleothem age dating as a chronostratigraphic constraint in the apuane
It is widely accepted that phreatic passages form below the local piezometric surface and that they evolve to large tubes close to the karst water table (e.g. Ford and Williams, 1989; Palmer (1987), Palmer (1991), and references therein). If the local base level remains stable, cave systems develop into a complex and hierarchical network of epiphreatic tubes just above the altitude of springs (Palmer, 1991). During a tectonic standstill or a stage of low uplift rates, tubiform passages can
Conclusion
The morphological features of the upper cave-levels (above 1400 m a.s.l.), which are certainly older than the main uplift stage of the Alpi Apuane, probably developed during a stage of tectonic standstill or moderate uplift-rate when the prevailing landscape was of low relief. Remnants of this landscape are currently preserved as horizontal ridges and small summit plains along the secondary crests of Alpi Apuane (Piccini, 1994a). The structural setting of the Alpi Apuane suggests that the
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a grant (99/067) from the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering and from Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca Scientifica (MURST Cofin 1999), Project resp. C. Bartolini. The authors are grateful to C. Bartolini, G. Hancock and an anonymous referee for useful comments.
References (30)
- et al.
Climate and biomes in the West Mediterranean area during the Pliocene
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
(1999) - et al.
Dating of deformation phases using K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar techniquesresults from the Northern Apennines
Journal of Structural Geology
(1986) - et al.
Fission-track datings and recent rapid denudation in Northern Apennines, Italy
Memorie Società Geologica Italiana
(1994) - et al.
Recent flowstone growth ratesfield measurements in comparison to theoretical predictions
Chemical Geology
(1992) Su alcune superfici sommitali dell’Appennino Settentrionale (prov. di Lucca e Pistoia)
Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quatermaria
(1980)- et al.
Carta Neotettonica dell’Appennino Settentrionale. Note Illustrative
Bollettino Società Geologica Italiana
(1982) - et al.
Eventi compressivi neogenico-quaternari nell’area peritirrenica nord-orientale. Dati in mare e a terra
Memorie Società Geologica Italiana
(1990) Una sequenza palinologica di età rusciniana nei sedimenti lacustri basali del bacino di Aulla-Olivola (Val di Magra)
Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia Stratigrafica
(1988)- et al.
La struttura cataclastico milonitica di foce di Mosceta Alpi Apuane sud-orientali (M. Corchia, Gruppo delle Panie)
Atti Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali, Memorie, Serie A
(1988) - Burbank, D.W., Anderson, R.S., 2001. Tectonic Geomorphology. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 274...
Studi di geomorfologia e neotettonicaII —Il pliocene fluvio-lacustre della conca di Barga
Memorie Società Geologica Italiana
Crustal extension in the Northern Apenninesthe transition from compression to extension in the Alpi Apuane Core Complex
Tectonics
Considerazioni sulla litostratigrafia e sull’evoluzione sedimentaria delle formazioni retico-liassiche del Nucleo Metamorfico Apuano
Atti Ticinensi di Scienze della Terra
La valle villafranchiana della Turrite di Gallicano (Val di Serchio) e le sue implicazioni neotettoniche
Supplementi di Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria
Suspended sediments in karst spring waters near Massa (Tuscany), Italy
Environmental Geology
Cited by (31)
Global trends in karst-related studies from 1990 to 2016: A bibliometric analysis
2021, Alexandria Engineering JournalCitation Excerpt :Globally, the number of karst-related studies is increasing continuously. Primarily, karst related studies have focused on karst landforms and limestone [9,18,32], groundwater and karst springs [2,6,24], caves and speleothems [25,30], taxonomy and karst species [3,17,34], karst hydrogeology [20,23], soil erosion and karst rocky desertification [5,33,36], carbon cycle in karst systems [8,12,19], and 3D modelling [4,37]. Nevertheless, no comprehensive assessment of karst-related studies has been conducted to date.
New insights on speleoseismology: The geothermal gradient and heat flow values in caves for the study of active faults
2017, Quaternary InternationalCitation Excerpt :Speleoseismology represents a new branch of the paleoseismology that provides relevant information about paleoearthquakes, tectonic slip-rate and chronological ages of these events (Cadorin et al., 2001; Gilli, 2005; Kagan et al., 2005; Becker et al., 2006). Relic phreatic caves have been used as tectonic indicators by Piccini et al. (2003). Tectonic vertical uplift affects the phreatic conditions in caves and consequently, the karst dynamic is also affected and would reflect the new water conditions (abandoned pools, relic passages etc.).
Anomalous CO<inf>2</inf> content in the Gallicano thermo-mineral spring (Serchio Valley, Italy) before the 21 June 2013, Alpi Apuane earthquake (M = 5.2)
2015, Physics and Chemistry of the EarthCitation Excerpt :The activity of these faults was related with the main morphogenetic phase and with vertical movements of about 4 km in some sectors of the AMU (Molli, 2005). These movements are recorded in the sedimentary evolution of Lunigiana/Versilia and Garfagnana basins (Federici, 1973; Calistri, 1974; Raggi, 1985; Argnani et al., 2003) as well as for the more recent times by morphologic evolution and paleokarsts within the AMU (Piccini et al., 2003; Zanchetta et al., 2005, and references therein). The extensional regime in Lunigiana-Garfagnana area is confirmed by the focal mechanisms of recent earthquakes (Frepoli and Amato, 1997, 2000; Rosini et al., 1997; Stramondo et al., 2014).
Alluvial terrace systems in Zhangjiajie of northwest Hunan, China: Implications for climatic change, tectonic uplift and geomorphic evolution
2011, Quaternary InternationalCitation Excerpt :The relative influence of tectonic, climatic and anthropogenic factors varies markedly in differing settings. River terraces and karst caves are often used to signify long-term uplift of landscapes and/or fluvial incision (e.g., Molnar et al., 1994; Maddy et al., 2001b; Piccini et al., 2003; Bridgland et al., 2004; Litchfield and Berryman, 2007; Bridgland and Westaway, 2008; Litchfield, 2008; Carcaillet et al., 2009; Claessens et al., 2009; Robustelli et al., 2009; Strasser et al., 2009; Westaway, 2009). Terraces have long been used to interpret the synchroneity of landscape responses to glacial and interglacial cycles (Schumm, 1977; Chatters and Hoover, 1992; Li et al., 1997; Bridgland, 2000; Pan et al., 2003; Bridgland and Westaway, 2008; Gao et al., 2008).