Late Quaternary paleolandscape of submerged inner continental shelf areas of Tremiti Islands archipelago (northern Puglia)

Abstract

The Tremiti Islands archipelago, located north of Gargano promontory’s coast, is part of a complex geological area within the Adriatic basin, facing the junction between central and southern Apennines. This area is well known for Neogenic-Quaternary stratigraphic, tectonic and seismologic aspects and is crucial for the definition of Late Quaternary Adriatic basin evolution. This work gives a contribution of geomorphological data concerning the inner continental shelf around the islands. It incorporates bathymetrical analysis and side scan sonar survey, focused on the recognition of main submerged landforms, from coastline down to about 70 m b.s.l. Geophysical acquisitions were improved with direct observations, carried out by means of a two year scuba-dive geomorphological survey. The study of continental shelf outlines a geomorphologic setting that includes marine and coastal features, but also tectonic, fluvial, karst and slope landforms. The correlation of the below sea level geomorphological features, with landforms and deposits of above sea level areas, provide a contribution to the reconstruction of Late Quaternary landscape and geomorphological evolution, as the result of tectonics, sea-level fluctuations and marine, coastal, and continental geomorphological processes.