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Seismotectonics of the southern Apennines and Adriatic foreland: Insights on active regional E‐W shear zones from analogue modeling
Author(s) -
Di Bucci Daniela,
Ravaglia Antonio,
Seno Silvio,
Toscani Giovanni,
Fracassi Umberto,
Valensise Gianluca
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
tectonics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.465
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1944-9194
pISSN - 0278-7407
DOI - 10.1029/2005tc001898
Subject(s) - foreland basin , geology , seismotectonics , seismology , shear zone , shear (geology) , geomorphology , paleontology , tectonics
The active tectonics at the front of the southern Apennines and in the Adriatic foreland is characterized by E‐W striking, right‐lateral seismogenic faults, interpreted as reactivated inherited discontinuities. The best studied among these is the Molise‐Gondola shear zone. The interaction of these shear zones with the Apennines chain is not yet clear. To address this open question, we developed a set of scaled analogue experiments, aimed at analyzing (1) how dextral strike‐slip motion along a preexisting zone of weakness within the foreland propagates toward the surface and affects the orogenic wedge; (2) the propagation of deformation as a function of displacement; and (3) any insights on the active tectonics of southern Italy. Our results stress the primary role played by these inherited structures when reactivated and confirm that regional E‐W dextral shear zones are a plausible way of explaining the seismotectonic setting of the external areas of the southern Apennines.