Compositional and chemical analyses suggest that Middle Triassic–Lower Liassic continental redbeds (in the internal domains of the Betic, Maghrebian, and Apenninic chains) can be considered a regional lithosome marking the Triassic-Jurassic rift-valley stage of Tethyan rifting, which led to the Pangaea breakup and subsequent development of a mosaic of plates and microplates. Sandstones are quartzose to quartzolithic and represent a provenance of continental block and recycled orogen, made up mainly of Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks similar to those underlying the redbeds. Mudrocks display K enrichments; intense paleoweathering under a hot, episodically humid climate with a prolonged dry season; and sediment recycling. Redbeds experienced temperatures in the range of 100°–160°C and lithostatic/tectonic loading of more than 4 km. These redbeds represent an important stratigraphic signature to reconstruct a continental block (Mesomediterranean Microplate) that separated different realms of the western Tethys from Middle-Late Jurassic to Miocene, when it was completely involved in Alpine orogenesis.This work was funded by the Ministero dell’Universtità e della Ricerca Scientifica–Progetto di Ricerca Nazionale (MIUR-PRIN) 2001–2003 Project (“Age and Sedimentary Characters of the Mesozoic Continental Redbeds [Verrucano] from Northern Apennines to the Betic Cordillera: Implications for Paleogeographic and Tectonic Evolution of the Central-Western Mediterranean Alpine Belts,” S. Critelli, G. Mongelli, V. Perrone), MIUR-ex60% Projects (“Paleogeographic and Paleotectonic Evolution of the Circum-Mediterranean Orogenic Belts, 2001–2005” and “Relationships between Tectonic Accretion, Volcanism, and Clastic Sedimentation within the Circum-Mediterranean Orogenic Belts, 2006,” S. Critelli), the 2006–2008 MIUR-PRIN Project 2006.04.8397 (“The Cenozoic Clastic Sedimentation within the Circum-Mediterranean Orogenic Belts: Implications for Paleogeographic and Paleotectonic Evolution,” S. Critelli, G. Mongelli, V. Perrone), and Research Project CGL2005-03887 MEC (A. Martin-Algarra)

The composition and stratigraphic relations of sandstones and associated conglomerates derived from erosion of the northern Calabrian terranes provide important constraints for paleotectonic and paleogeographic models of the Neogene wedge-top depozone evolution of the southern Italy foreland basin system. After onset of continental collision in the southern Italy orogenic belt during late Oligocene to early Miocene, the Calabrian Arc drifted northeastward, accreting over the Adria lithosphere during mid to late Miocene time. Since the Tortonian, the northern Calabrian terranes represented an uplifted thrust belt in which along its leading edge tectonic subsidence was responsible for accumulation of a thick Tortonian to Quaternary succession, dominantly siliciclastic (up to 3300 meters thick), deposited in the wedge-top depozones (Rossano and Crotone basins). Sandstone assemblages have a homogeneous quartzofeldspathic composition in the Rossano and Crotone basins, characterized by a compositional trend, through time in response to regional tectonics. Evolution of the basins fill occurred during (1) Serravallian?–Tortonian, (2) late Tortonian to early Messinian, and (3) late Messinian. Detritus shed into those basins was derived mainly from terranes within the strongly deformed Sila Mountains allochthon, which was one of the principal structural elements of the nearby northern Calabrian terranes, consisting of Hercynian plutons intruding Paleozoic (Cambrian to Carboniferous) metasedimentary host rocks, and locally having a sedimentary cover of Mesozoic (Longobucco Group) or early Miocene (Paludi unit) clastics. Low- to medium-grade metamorphic and minor plutonic grain types (metamorphiclastic petrofacies) represent the main detritus in the earliest (Serravallian?–Tortonian) sedimentation that accompanied progressive flexural bending of the western margin of the foreland-basin system. Tortonian to early Messinian time was characterized by isolation of the Mediterranean region from the global marine realm, leading to evaporite sedimentation in the foreland in addition to intense regional and local tectonics. Compositional response to those events was a marked increase in sedimentary detritus (sedimenticlastic petrofacies) related to cannibalization of early Messinian evaporite successions; after the evaporitic events within the basins and the gradual re-establishment to the normal marine conditions, sandstone detrital modes are characterized mainly by a return of the Serravallian?–Tortonian compositional modes (i.e., metamorphic–plutoniclastic petrofacies). The post-evaporitic sedimentation corresponds to a major tectonic rearrangement on both Rossano and Crotone basins related to extrusion and inversion of the basal portion of the Serravallian?–Tortonian sequences in the intermediate zone to form an intervening "Cirò structural high." In the Crotone Basin during late Messinian, deposition of the Carvane Conglomerate records an abrupt sudden arrival of distinctive sedimentary containing clasts of detritus of reddish limestone, marl, quartz arenite, siltstone and chert derived from Mesozoic to Tertiary basinal sequences of the southern Apennines domains (i.e., Sicilide Complex terranes). Detrital-mode evolution of the inner portions of the late Miocene southern Italy foreland-basin system was in response to abrupt tectonic partitioning due to continuation of accretionary processes, rapid uplift of mid-crustal blocks, and the superposition of wrench tectonics.

The Tufiti di Tusa Formation, a siliciclastic turbidite system of lower Miocene age in southern Italy, is mainly composed of volcaniclastic and quartzolithic sandstones interbedded with mudrocks. Sandstones are subdivided into four distinctive petrofacies, evolving from quartzolithic to volcaniclastic lithofeldspathic and feldspatholithic, reflecting detrital evolution from growing orogen (quartzolithic petrofacies) to active volcanism (volcaniclastic petrofacies). The mineralogical composition of the associated mudrocks is predominantly characterized by phyllosilicates, mainly illite/smectite mixed layers (I/S R1 associated with minor amounts of I/S R0 in the lower part of the succession, and I/S R3 in its upper part), together with illite, detrital micas and chlorite, and minor amounts of chlorite/smectite mixed layers and kaolinite, in addition to quartz, calcite and feldspars. The most abundant phyllosilicates are I/S mixed layers, 10-Å minerals (illite and micas) and chlorite, while kaolinite and chlorite–smectite mixed layers are present as a few per cent or in trace amounts. X-ray diffraction patterns show the occurrence of the ordered I/S R1 mixed layers in most samples but, at the top of the succession, some samples are characterized by I/S R3 mixed layers, whilst in the lower part of the succession I/S R1 is associated with a lower amount of I/S R0. These features suggest that the Tufiti di Tusa Formation experienced a medium diagenetic grade, and the occurrence of I/S R3 could be explained by K-availability in samples in the upper part of the succession. The lithic fragments in sandstones are metasedimentary rocks of Palaeozoic age, and andesite to dacite volcanic rocks of early Miocene age. The associated mudrocks also contain trace element ratios (Cr/V, Y/Ni, La/Sc, Th/Sc, Th/Co, Th/Cr, Cr/Th and Eu/Eu*) consistent with a provenance containing intermediate to silicic sources with scarce or absent basic rocks. The chemical index of alteration (63.2 to 71.6) suggests a moderate degree of weathering in the source. Furthermore, the K/Cs ratios of sediments confirm likely moderate rather than intense weathering. The index of compositional variability (ICV) values (from 1.2 to 2.5) are high enough to suggest the mudrocks are first-cycle sediments with little recycling. The Al–Ti–Zr diagram and the Th/Sc v. Zr/Sc plot indicate poor sorting and rapid deposition of the sediments. Detrital and sedimentary evolution of the Tufiti di Tusa Formation provides constraints, in terms of relations between a growing orogenic system and active volcanism in the Central Mediterranean, to contribute to geodynamic and palaeogeographic reconstructions of the earliest collision in the southern Apennines region.

We applied the Small Baseline Subset multi-temporal InSAR technique (SBAS) to two SAR datasets acquired from 2003 up to 2013 by Envisat (ESA, European Space Agency) and COSMO-SkyMed (ASI, Italian Space Agency) satellites to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of land subsidence in the Sibari Plain (Southern Italy). Subsidence processes (up to ~20 mm/yr) were investigated comparing geological, hydrogeological, and land use information with interferometric results. We suppose a correlation between subsidence and thickness of the Plio-Quaternary succession suggesting an active role of the isostatic compensation. Furthermore, the active back thrusting in the Corigliano Gulf could trigger a flexural subsidence mechanism even if fault activity and earthquakes do not seem play a role in the present subsidence. In this context, the compaction of Holocene deposits contributes to ground deformation. Despite the rapid urbanization of the area in the last 50 years, we do not consider the intensive groundwater pumping and related water table drop as the main triggering cause of subsidence phenomena, in disagreement with some previous publications. Our interpretation for the deformation fields related to natural and anthropogenic factors would be a comprehensive and exhaustive justification to the complexity of subsidence processes in the Sibari Plain.