The main morphological elements characterizing the South-West bound of Apulian (South Italy) calcareous platform are deep narrow valleys locally called “Gravine”. There are several of these gorges in this area and some are short while others are really long, sometimes several kilometers and more than 100 m deep. These elements are really relevant for the landscape of this area, in fact they are protected by a Regional Park that is called “Park of the Gravine Land”. Normally, these geomorphic elements are considered related to erosion phenomena. However, they were cut in non-easily erodible rocks in a relatively short period because in the upper part of the banks it outcrops quaternary sandstones. Due to the peculiarity of these landforms, a more detailed study on the geomorphic characters of these gorges is here undertaken for two of the main Gravine on the western part of the gravine zone: “Gravina di Laterza” and “Gravina di Castellaneta” and a secondary one “Gravina di Montecamplo” that is located between the previous two. The first two gorges (Laterza and Castellaneta) drains catchments of more than 150 km2 upstream of the beginning of the gorge segment. Thus, the catchment upstream the gorge segment is analyzed separately from the gorge. The analyses emphasize that the upstream catchments have characteristics features completely different from those of the gorge segment, that is a singularity of the streams. A stream network quite well hierarchized characterizes the catchments upstream of the gorge and the streams appear in a quite mature stage of evolution. The three gorges share similar characteristics and none of them has characteristics typical of mature streams. The analysis of azimuthal directions of the gorges and of the stream network upstream the gorge segments shows that both gorges and the stream network develop along few clear Apennine and anti-Apennine directions. Therefore, this network is probably strongly conditioned by tectonic fractures. On the base of the analysis, it is here assumed that the origin of gravine may reasonably be related to the final phases of the tectonic uplift of Murgia region. Tectonic tensile stresses on south-west edge of Mesozoic limestone platform brought to the collapse of the lower edge of the platform with separation of limestone blocks, where gravine represent cracks of the carbonate bedrock without relative displacement.

Notes on the morphological features of the gorges on southwest bound of Apulia calcareous platform called “Gravine” / Doglioni, Angelo; Cristino, Mc; Cristino, G; Galeandro, A; Guerricchio, A; Simeone, Vincenzo. - (2013), p. 176. (Intervento presentato al convegno GEOITALIA 2013 - IX FORUM di Scienze della Terra tenutosi a Pisa nel 16-18 settembre 2013).

Notes on the morphological features of the gorges on southwest bound of Apulia calcareous platform called “Gravine”

DOGLIONI, Angelo;SIMEONE, Vincenzo
2013-01-01

Abstract

The main morphological elements characterizing the South-West bound of Apulian (South Italy) calcareous platform are deep narrow valleys locally called “Gravine”. There are several of these gorges in this area and some are short while others are really long, sometimes several kilometers and more than 100 m deep. These elements are really relevant for the landscape of this area, in fact they are protected by a Regional Park that is called “Park of the Gravine Land”. Normally, these geomorphic elements are considered related to erosion phenomena. However, they were cut in non-easily erodible rocks in a relatively short period because in the upper part of the banks it outcrops quaternary sandstones. Due to the peculiarity of these landforms, a more detailed study on the geomorphic characters of these gorges is here undertaken for two of the main Gravine on the western part of the gravine zone: “Gravina di Laterza” and “Gravina di Castellaneta” and a secondary one “Gravina di Montecamplo” that is located between the previous two. The first two gorges (Laterza and Castellaneta) drains catchments of more than 150 km2 upstream of the beginning of the gorge segment. Thus, the catchment upstream the gorge segment is analyzed separately from the gorge. The analyses emphasize that the upstream catchments have characteristics features completely different from those of the gorge segment, that is a singularity of the streams. A stream network quite well hierarchized characterizes the catchments upstream of the gorge and the streams appear in a quite mature stage of evolution. The three gorges share similar characteristics and none of them has characteristics typical of mature streams. The analysis of azimuthal directions of the gorges and of the stream network upstream the gorge segments shows that both gorges and the stream network develop along few clear Apennine and anti-Apennine directions. Therefore, this network is probably strongly conditioned by tectonic fractures. On the base of the analysis, it is here assumed that the origin of gravine may reasonably be related to the final phases of the tectonic uplift of Murgia region. Tectonic tensile stresses on south-west edge of Mesozoic limestone platform brought to the collapse of the lower edge of the platform with separation of limestone blocks, where gravine represent cracks of the carbonate bedrock without relative displacement.
2013
GEOITALIA 2013 - IX FORUM di Scienze della Terra
Notes on the morphological features of the gorges on southwest bound of Apulia calcareous platform called “Gravine” / Doglioni, Angelo; Cristino, Mc; Cristino, G; Galeandro, A; Guerricchio, A; Simeone, Vincenzo. - (2013), p. 176. (Intervento presentato al convegno GEOITALIA 2013 - IX FORUM di Scienze della Terra tenutosi a Pisa nel 16-18 settembre 2013).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11589/25055
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