PALEOMAGNETIC CONSTRAINTS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE GEODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF THE APENNINES DURING THE MIDDLE MIOCENE - PLEISTOCENE

Abstract

The Apennines are a mountain belt developed during the Neogene along the western margin of the Adria microplate. This paper presents an updated review of paleomagnetic research aimed at the reconstruction of the geodynamic evolution of the Italian Peninsula and Sicily. Paleomagnetic data collected in the Apennines since the 1970s support the view that the Italian peninsula consists of an articulated system, with vertical-axis rotations distributed over distinct geodynamical provinces and geological times. Vertical-axis rotations are generally counterclockwise in the Apennines and clockwise in the Sicilian Maghrebides. These rotations were mostly linked to the transport and bending of allochthonous units along multiple thrusts. The most recent paleomagnetic data indicate that large and variable vertical-axis rotations characterized the development of various individual arcuate thrust fronts. Some of these rotations may have occurred at very rapid rates. The detailed understanding of these local rotations and the refinement of high-resolution age models for the various phases of vertical-axis rotations are the new frontier and challenge for future paleomagnetic studies in Italy.