Investigating rock-uplift variations in time and space provides insights into the processes driving mountain-belt
evolution. The Apennine Mountains of Italy underwent substantial Quaternary rock uplift that shaped the
present-day topography.
Here, we present linear river-profile inversions for 28 catchments draining the eastern flank of the NorthernCentral Apennines to reconstruct rock-uplift histories. We calibrated these results by estimating an erodibility
coefficient (K) from incision rates and catchment-averaged erosion rates obtained from cosmogenic-nuclide
data, and we tested whether a uniform or variable K produces a rock-uplift model that satisfactorily fits
independent geochronological constraints. We employ a landscape-evolution model to demonstrate that our
inversion results are reliable despite substantial seaward lengthening of the catchments during uplift.
Our findings suggest that a rock-uplift pulse started around 3.0–2.5 Ma, coinciding with the onset of extension in
the Apennines, and migrated southward at a rate of ∼90 km/Myr. The highest reconstructed rock-uplift rates (>1
km/Myr) occur in the region encompassing the highest Apennine massifs. These results are consistent with
numerical models and field evidence from other regions exhibiting rapid rock-uplift pulses and uplift migration
related to slab break-off. Our results support the hypothesis of break-off of the Adria slab under the central
Apennines and its southward propagation during the Quaternary. Moreover, the results suggest a renewed
increase in rock-uplift rates after the Middle Pleistocene along the Adriatic coast, coeval with recent uplift
acceleration along the eastern coast of southern Italy in the Apulian foreland.
18/03/2025
We are pleased to announce that the second Geosciences Colloquium will take place on March 18th at 16:30 in Aula Lucchesi at Sapienza, University of Rome and on Google Meet (see the link below or in the attached file).
The speaker will be:
Luca Smeraglia (IGAG – National Research Council, Rome)
The presentation is titled:
"Fault-controlled fluid flow in the Earth’s crust, impacts on groundwater and geothermal exploration"
Please find the abstract in the attached file.
We hope to see you there!
Marco and Paolo
link Meets
Seminario Smeraglia
https://meet.google.com/qeb-cgax-wbo