The Attic-Cycladic Crystalline Belt in the central Aegean region represents an important tectono-stratigraphic unit of the Hellenides, illustrating many aspects of subduction zone processes and the exhumation of high-pressure/low-temperature (HP/LT) rocks. Many of its main features can be studied excellently on the island of Tinos. The five-day excursion presented here provides an overview of the principal geological, magmatic, and tectonic-metamorphic relationships on this island and introduces characteristic features of the regional geology. The main topics are (a) the structural architecture of Tinos, which comprises at least three tectonic subunits with different geological and metamorphic histories, (b) the metamorphic conditions in the various subunits, which include a variety of different P–T regimes (amphibolite facies, greenschist facies, eclogite to epidote-blueschist facies, contact metamorphism) and the associated ages, (c) the origin and significance of block-in-matrix structures in the marbleschist sequences that dominate most of the island, (d) the main features of a Jurassic ophiolite, (e) the formation of ophicalcite and listvenite, (f) the intrusion of Miocene granitoids (I- and S-type), and (g) mining activities. The excursion is based on a field course that was regularly held as part of the MSc program in Geosciences at the University of Münster.
The Carnic Alps are a segment of the Southern Alps located along the border between north-eastern Italy and Austria. One of the world's most studied Palaeozoic sequences is exposed here. It is divided into three parts: the Pre-Variscan sequence, which consists of rocks deposited between the latest Proterozoic and the Early Pennsylvanian, followed by the Permo-Carboniferous sequence (Upper Pennsylvanian to Cisuralian), and then by the lower part of the Alpine sequence (Guadalupian and younger rocks). Though affected by strong orogeneses, these sequences still preserve continuous and non-metamorphosed stratigraphy. The depositional settings range from shallow water to open marine environments. The field trip is organised as a pre-congress excursion of the PALEO4ALPS-Joint Meeting of the Austrian, German, Italian, and Swiss Paleontological Societies (Bolzano, July 19-23, 2026) and includes three days of visits to various localities in the central sector of the Carnic Alps, focusing on different aspects of stratigraphy and palaeontology of the area. Stops at the visitor centres of the Transborder Carnic Alps Geopark are also scheduled.
The Eocene limestones exposed around the village of Bolca, northern Italy, have provided some of the most complete and wellpreserved marine assemblages of the Cenozoic. The fossils of these deposits, especially the famous fossil fishes, are known for more than four centuries and document tropical marine shallow-water ecosystems of the western Tethys, representing a spectacular snapshot of Eocene marine life. The one-day palaeontological field trip presented herein constitutes a deep immersion into the early Cenozoic marine tropical biodiversity of the western end of the Tethys Ocean. The focus of this field trip is therefore to provide a general overview of the outstanding organism diversity of the two main sites of the Bolca Lagerst & auml;tten, Monte Postale and Pesciara, and to show their stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental setting. The field trip starts with a visit to the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Verona, which includes the most important collection of Bolca fossils. Then, the second stop shows the Monte Postale stratigraphic succession, and the third stop illustrates the celebrated Pesciara site, exploited for the collection of spectacular fossils since the 16th century.
TThe one-day field trip to the Lavini di Marco tracksite (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, NE Italy) offers the opportunity to appreciate one of the most extensive and interesting European dinosaur tracksites. The ichnoassemblage, Hettangian in age, is constituted by numerous quadrupedal trackways, referred to medium-sized sauropodomorphs, and hundreds of tridactyl footprints, produced by small- to large-sized theropods. The itinerary, developed in six stops, will focus on the most significant occurrences of the tracksite, highlighting the theropod biodiversity revealed by numerous tridactyl tracks, such as ROLM 198, ROLM 137 and ROLM 219, and the most spectacular and relevant quadrupedal trackways, such as ROLM 26, known as the "rock-climbing dinosaur" trackway, and ROLM 577, holotype of the ichnospecies .
The Cuddapah Basin, one of the largest Proterozoic basins in India, provides crucial insights into the Proterozoic Earth's sedimentary and tectonic evolution. The Papaghni Group forms the basal unit of the Proterozoic Cuddapah Supergroup and represents a key lithostratigraphic sequence in the Cuddapah Basin. The Group consists of the Gulcheru Quartzite and Vempalle Formation and contains information related to the sedimentation history, depositional environments, and tectonic evolution of the region. The stratigraphy of the Papaghni Group furnishes the history of rifting, sedimentation, and periodic basin subsidence, influenced by the regional and global geodynamic processes i.e., Columbia supercontinent assembly. Well preserved stromatolites within the Vempalle Formation highlight early microbial activity in carbonate precipitation. The study of stromatolites from the Vempalle Formation reveals a depth partitioned microbial growth pattern controlled by energy conditions, salinity, and sediment influx. The variation in stromatolitic morphology, from laminated forms in shallow intertidal settings to columnar and domal structures in deeper marine environments, highlights their adaptive capability in response to paleoenvironmental changes. Furthermore, mafic flows, dykes, and hydrothermal mineralisation within the sequence indicate multiple extensional phases, correlating with global supercontinent cycles. The study highlights extensive field observations, petrographic analyses, and ore mineral assemblages, contributing to a holistic understanding of the region's geodynamic evolution.
The city of Bari, host of the 2024 edition of the joint SGI-SIMP congress "Geology for a sustainable management of our planet", is the capital of the Apulia region and one of the most important port cities on the Adriatic Sea. Its historical role as the Porta d'Oriente (Gateway to the East) since antiquity, together with the legacy of successive dominations, has left a profound imprint on both its tangible and intangible cultural heritage. This guide offers an opportunity to explore the rich cultural heritage of the old town (Bari Vecchia) and the modern Murat district. It also presents a concise overview of the urban geological substratum and its relationship with the city's-built heritage. The itinerary includes seven stops at sites of particular historical meaning, including Piazza del Ferrarese, the Petruzzelli Theatre, the seafront promenade (Lungomare), the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, the Cathedral of Saint Sabinus, the Norman-Swabian castle and the iconic streets of Bari Vecchia (Arco alto and Arco Basso). In addition, selected case studies on the diagnostics and restoration of cultural heritage, carried out by researchers and students of the Degree Course in Conservation and Restoration at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, will be presented along the tour.
Floor-Fractured Craters (FFCs) are complex impact structures characterized by fractures, mesas, and knobs on their floors. They appear extensively on Mars, exhibiting diverse morphologies indicative of multiple geological processes including tectonic, volcanic, glacial, and fluvial mechanisms. This study presents a high-resolution geomorphological analysis of Hala crater, an 18 km-diameter FFC located within the Gorgonum Chaos Basin, in Terra Sirenum. Utilizing high-resolution imagery from HiRISE, CaSSIS, and topographic data from HRSC-derived DTMs, we compile a geomorphological map at a scale of 1:25,000. Detailed morphometric analyses reveal the crater is anomalously shallow compared to neighbouring structures, implying significant infill processes possibly influenced by magmatic intrusion and localized uplift events. The alignment of fractures within the crater notably correlates with regional tectonic stresses from the Sirenum Fossae system, suggesting substantial structural control. Periglacial landforms further illustrate extensive modification by ice-related processes during the Amazonian. Overall, our detailed geomorphological mapping highlights a complex interplay of impact-driven, tectonic, volcanic, and periglacial processes that have shaped the crater's interior. This analysis contributes to our understanding of the geological history of FFCs.
Northern Sardinia exposes a remarkably continuous section of Palaeozoic continental crust minimally affected by post-Variscan tectonics. The Variscan crust includes lower crustal migmatites with relic of high-pressure-high-temperature granulitic assemblages (P=1.2-2.2 GPa, T>800 degrees C), middle crustal metapelite, amphibolite, and calc-alkaline orthogneiss derived from reworking of a thick Ordovician magmatic arc. These metamorphic rocks are intruded by the late Palaeozoic (Carboniferous-Permian similar to 340-280 Ma) Corsica-Sardinia Batholith, a roughly 500 km-long, 50 km-wide composite magmatic province formed incrementally by emplacement of several plutons during post-orogenic extension and tectonic reorganisation of major lithospheric blocks related to shearing of Pangaea. In this 5-days field trip, we will explore the migmatite-granite transition zone and four plutons emplaced at different depths, focusing on the relative contribution of crustal reworking and mantle melting for the evolution of the continental crust. More technical topics about the emplacement mechanisms, length scales and timescales of magmatism, and the competition between different chemical and physical processes during the assembly of granitic plutons will also be discussed in relation to specific structures and rock compositions.
Occurrences of interbedded volcanic deposits in the Jurassic marine carbonate successions of the SE Spanish Iberian Range (Iberian Plate) have been reported since the 1930s. However, it was not until now, almost 85 years later, that these volcanic deposits have been quantified and dated. Eight sites containing single or multiple volcanic rock outcrops are detected, where 13 successive volcanic levels are differentiated using biostratigraphic methods. The results indicate that the volcanic manifestations were distributed throughout the early Pliensbachian-early Bajocian interval. The starting point for this quantification and dating was the geological mapping of the volcanic outcrops and surrounding sedimentary formations. The geological mapping was carried out in the field using traditional methods, such as enlargements of maps on paper at a scale of 1:25,000 provided by the Instituto Geogr & aacute;fico Nacional (IGN) and at a scale of 1:10,000 by the Institut Cartogr & agrave;fic Valenci & agrave;. The hand-drawn geological features were later digitized using several software programs (AutoCAD, ArcGIS, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop) and presented in portable document format (.pdf) in this work. Georeferenced sheets of the National Topographic Base of Spain (1:25,000) in digital (.dwg) format were used as the topographic base of the maps. Orthoimages and Digital Elevation Models were also deployed. All the material (vector topographic base, orthoimages, and DEMs) was provided by the Instituto Geogr & aacute;fico Nacional of Spain.The final maps represent a complete location of all known Jurassic volcanic manifestations in the Iberian Range, which may be useful in further multidisciplinary geological work.
In this work we present the geological map of Mt. Soratte (Central Apennines, Latium, Italy), drawn up at a scale of 1:5,000, following the guidelines proposed by the CARG (Geological CARtography) project. The study area is characterised by a Meso-Cenozoic succession mainly dominated by pelagic deposits belonging to the Umbria-Marche-Sabina Basin, set up following the Early Jurassic extensional tectonics. A peculiarity of this area is the occurrence of neptunian dykes filled up by Middle Jurassic and Cretaceous units as well as epiescarpment deposits of Cenomanian/Turonian units overlying Lower Jurassic units, as a results of a Cretaceous extensional tectonics. A further note goes to the presence of hiatus in the succession, which lacks Cretaceous units as well as units subsequent to the upper Eocene until the Plio-Pleistocene. The current landscape of the Mt. Soratte area is the result of a complex morpho-tectonic evolution started from the Miocene compression, which structured the Apennine chain, followed by the extensional tectonics, leading to the formation of the Tiber Valley. This scenario has allowed the arrangement of wide volcaniclastic and continental clastic deposits in the entire area surrounding the Mt. Soratte relief.
The Monte Tignoso area, located along the western flank of Val San Giacomo (Central Alps), offers a unique and well-exposed crosssection through the tectonic contact of the Middle Penninic Tambo and Suretta nappes, as a result of the tectonic coupling during the final stages of the continental collision between the European and Adriatic plates. The Permian-Mesozoic meta-sedimentary pile of the Tambo nappe is mainly made up of quartzites and successions of metacarbonates, and it is pinched between the poly-metamorphic basement rocks the Tambo and Suretta nappes. The one-day round trip illustrates a geological transect through the nappe stack, starting from the upper portions of the Tambo nappe basement, crossing the meta-sedimentary cover, up to the Suretta nappe basement, which forms a tectonic klippe on the top of Monte Tignoso. Furthermore, the field trip shows the main geomorphological and Quaternary peculiarities encountered along the way, as periglacial landforms, deep slope gravitative deformations and a well-developed karst system, all controlled, at least partially, by the distinctive geological and structural features that characterise the area. The peculiar setting of the area, combined with a non-harsh environment, makes it suitable for an easy one-day field trip capable of condensing multiple geological evidence typical of the Central Alps.
The Modi Khola valley in the Annapurna Region in central-western Nepal offers a unique opportunityto studythe completetectonic and metamorphic history of the area, thanks to the exceptional continuity and exposure of the outcrops and the excellent orientation with respect to the chain. The valley exposes an about 20 km transect of rocks belonging to the three main tectono-metamorphic units of the Himalayan chain. From the lower to the upper structural level it is possible to recognise: the medium-low grade metamorphic rocks of the Lesser Himalayan Sequence (LHS), the medium-high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS), and the weakly or non-metamorphic rocks of the Tethyan Himalayan Sequence (THS). The main foliation in the three metamorphic units has a NW-SE trend and is generally dipping 40-45 degrees towards N-NE. The metamorphic core of the chain, the GHS, is separated from the THS by the South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS; that in the area is named Mardi-Himal Detachment) with normal kinematics and from the LHS by the Main Central Thrust Zone (MCTZ) with reverse kinematics. In the Modi Khola area other intra-GHS discontinuities are present. From top to bottom: the Modi Khola Shear Zone (MKSZ), the Sinuwa Thrust (ST), the Bhanuwa Fault (BT). The field trip itinerary covers 13 stops along the Modi Khola valley, providing insights into the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of the units. The excursion requires a medium-easy trek with a total altitude difference of 2630 m, spanning from Birethanti village (1500 m a.s.l.) to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC; 4130 m a.s.l.). It is recommended to program at least 5 days to complete the itinerary. The guide emphasises regional and local discontinuities, highlighting the importance of structural and microstructural analysis due to the complexity of the area and the limited evidence of deformation in the lithologies at outcrop-scale. Overall, the Modi Khola valley is a remarkable place where the geological setting and the tectonic and metamorphic evolution of the Himalayan region can be investigated. This field guide provides valuable insights for both researchers and geology enthusiasts interested in understanding the complex geological evolution of central-western Nepal and to better appreciate the history of the highest mountain belt in the world.
This one-day field trip offers the opportunity to investigate the stratigraphic and sedimentological features of an area within the Alta Murgia National Park that includes the geographic boundary between the foreland (Murge) and the foredeep (Premurge) of the southern Apennines orogenic system. The focus of this field trip is to show the facies associations forming the outcropping sedimentary units and the relationships between tectonics and sedimentation. The sequence of stops follow a temporal thread starting with the observation of the stratigraphic architecture of peritidal facies associations forming the Upper Cretaceous section of Cava Pontrelli, an international geosite hosting one of the largest dinosaur footprint sites in the world. Then, the second stop shows the role of syn-sedimentary tectonics on the deposition of shallow-marine carbonate deposits of the Calcarenite di Gravina Fm during the Pliocene-Pleistocene along some well-exposed natural outcrops. The third stop shows a Gilbert-type delta facies association in the Calcarenite di Gravina Fm formed at the base of an escarpment representing the structural element of conjunction between the foreland and the foredeep. This escarpment corresponds to an ancient fault plane in erosional recession formed into the Cretaceous bedrock. The last stop illustrates the historical use of local building and ornamental stones that form the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Castel del Monte.
A new ichnological study was carried out on the dinosaur tracks from the Lavini di Marco ichnosite (Trentino-Alto Adige/S & uuml;dtirol, NE Italy), on the framework of a joint project between the Sapienza University of Rome and the MUSE- Sciences Museum of Trento, with the cooperation of the Geological Survey and the Fire Department of the Autonomous Province of Trento. The project consisted of new analysis, made possible through modern digital technologies, of the Lower Jurassic tracks attributed to theropod and sauropod dinosaurs. Additionally, it included the realization of a geothematic map of the entire site, representing the objective of this contribution. Two different approaches were used during the ichnological mapping: i) traditional methods and ii) aerial- and close-range photogrammetry. Aerial photogrammetry was performed using two distinct drones, obtaining orthophotos and orthoplanes of the tracks bearing horizons, to produce a detailed geothematic map. Close range photogrammetry led to the production of more than seventy 3D color-coded models of the best-preserved dinosaur footprints. The map was produced in digital vector format with different levels of knowledge. The final geothematic map represents a complete multilayer documentation that will be useful for future work conservation, dissemination, and valorization of the tracksite.
In the Cottian Alps, across the Italian-French boundary, several continental-derived tectonic units are stacked together with Alpine Tethys-derived units. The continental units derive from the passive European margin, particularly from its most distal part that was subducted and exhumed during the Alpine orogeny. These units are generally grouped as Brian & ccedil;onnais s.l. units (a term that includes the Classic Brian & ccedil;onnais Units of the Brian & ccedil;on area, the Acceglio-type, the Pre-Piemonte and the Internal Crystalline Massif Units), which comprise metasedimentary successions of Carboniferous to Eocene age and polycyclic crystalline basement units, experiencing various peak metamorphic conditions between lowermost greenschist and ultra-high pressure (UHP) conditions. In the study area, located well south of Brian & ccedil;on, oceanic and continental units are interleaved, resulting in a complex structural architecture dominated by large-scale structures. This field trip guide, organised in two days and 16 stops, proposes an itinerary of great interest between the Maira and Ubaye Valleys (the border area between Italy and France) where these different units can be observed. The proposed trip leads to the exploration of many interesting outcrops on the meso- and large-scale, offering the opportunity to observe the main aspects of the structural architecture of a tectonically complex area. Furthermore, some outcrops will reveal details about the paleogeographic and stratigraphic evolution of the European passive margin units. The itinerary is aimed at both specialists and those interested in the Alpine regional geology. This field trip also makes it possible to further enhance a less frequented part, rich in interesting geo-touristic sites, of the Maira and Ubaye Valleys.
Southern Calabria is one of the rare places in the world where a nearly complete section of late Paleozoic continental crust is exposed with regularity, from basal metagabbros equilibrated at a depth of similar to 35 km, through mafic and felsic granulites and overlying metapelitic migmatites, to upper crustal paragneisses and phyllites. The crustal section also includes the late Variscan Serre Batholith (similar to 297-292 Ma), a similar to 13 km-thick composite and zoned batholith, consisting of a stack of tabular granitoid units, from strongly deformed to apparently undeformed, and ranging in composition from quartz diorite-tonalite to granodiorite-granite, which were emplaced sequentially, at decreasing depths from about 23 to 6 km. In this field trip, we will be exploring the entire crustal section from bottom to top, with a central focus on the role of granitoid magmatism in the growth and evolution of the continental crust in collisional zones, together with several more specific topics related to the large variety of rock structures and compositions
This excursion delves into the themes of human evolution, Palaeolithic caves, and karst landscapes, providing participants with a unique opportunity to explore the Monti Lessini, the Monti Berici, and two Palaeolithic sites in the Eastern Italian Pre-Alps and Alpine foreland. The Monti Lessini are characterised by a unique physical landscape shaped by tectonic evolution and a range of geomorphological processes including fluvial, karstic, glacial, and periglacial dynamics. This pre-alpine zone boasts an abundance of natural archives nestled within karst cavities, serving as invaluable resources for research into the human-ecological dynamics of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens. At Grotta di Fumane, the deposits represent evidence of paramount significance for understanding the subsistence and spirituality of ancient humanity that thrived in this region of southern Europe for over 50,000 years. The second part of the excursion is dedicated to showcasing the fluviokarstic landscape of the Monti Berici, characterised by a plateau featuring varied topography, including peaks, sinkholes, palaeosols and caves like Grotta San Bernardino. This site is of particular significance as it preserves a Middle and Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, which records a series of climatic cycles and provides evidence of Neanderthal use of the cave and surrounding landscape resources across varying ecologies.
The field trip focuses on the Quaternary tectonic structure of the Campanian-Lucanian Apennines. This area is responsible for some of the most destructive southern Apennine earthquakes, which were studied within the context of a PRIN-2017 project referred to as MUSE-4D, that stays for " Overtime tectonic, dynamic and rheologic control on destructive multiple seismic events- Special Italian Faults & Earthquakes: from real 4D cases to models". Part of the project focuses on two M7-class multi-event Special EarthQuakes (SEQs): Irpinia 1980 and Basilicata 1857, which released similar cumulate magnitudes in time lapses variable from few seconds (1980) to few minutes (1857). These events and their host structures were analysed in innovative overtime (Quaternary and active) and multi-scale (local to regional) approaches within the project context. The geometry, kinematics, and structural style of the potentially seismogenic sources of these events are still questioned in the literature. A full constraint of their surface setting is fundamental to reducing the number of variables in assessing the extensional tectonics of the area and in the 3D fault model building. The three-days field trip is finalized to visit both the largely agreed and the controversial fault exposures to discuss them among the geo-scientific community.
Central western Italy is famous for the occurrence of several Quaternary travertine depositional systems. Travertine deposition in this area is controlled by the degassing of CO2-charged 2-charged groundwater, circulating in deep carbonate-evaporitic reservoirs and associated to recent magmatic and tectonic activity. This guide provides the opportunity to recognise the different geometries and the lithofacies associations of travertine depositional system of central Italy. In order to provide a complete view of travertine depositional environment-lithofacies associations and the dimension of the depositional system, the Rapolano Terme area and the Acque Albule Basin field examples were selected and described in different field stops. The field trip could be performed in two days. The guide is organised into five different parts: an overview of continental carbonate deposits and a general geological setting of the Northern-Central Apennines, followed by the geological setting of the two selected areas. The chapter dedicated to the stop is organised in a brief overview of the depositional systems, followed by the location of the field stops. The conclusion chapter provides, finally, a brief explanation and the position of the stops respect to the travertine depositional system observed.
A comprehensive geological map of the Convoy Range- Franklin Island USGS quadrangles (Victoria Land, Antarctica) integrates previous geological maps with new field data collected during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 austral summers by the XXXIII and XXXIV ItaliAntartide expeditions. This new geological map allows a complete coverage of Victoria Land, by filling the gap between the GIGAMAP program (a German / Italian agreement of cooperation to produce new geological maps of Victoria Land), to the north, and the maps by the New Zealand Antarctic program, to the south. The Lower Paleozoic basement is overlain by flat-lying Devonian to lower Jurassic cover of sedimentary and igneous rocks. The mapping highlighted some key features of this region, such as the scarce occurrence of rocks of the Wilson Metamorphic Complex, the occurrence of mafic rocks belonging to the Granite Harbour Intrusive Complex and the possible activity of faulting with hundreds of meter of vertical offset, linked to the post-Ross Orogeny tectonics. This new map can be used as the starting point for any future geological investigation in this region.
