Gravitational morphogenesis of the Apennine chain in Central Italy

The present work investigates the oriental portion of the central Apennines. This is formed prevalently of calcareous and (in the southernmost part) of arenaceous terrain, characterized by a complex arcuate belt of folds and thrusts with north-east vergence, as a consequence of the Neogene compressional tectonics. In this area large-scale landslides and deep-seated gravitational deformations frequently occur in the slopes. The distribution and typology of the gravitational phenomena are correlated with the lithostratigraphic and structural features of the terrains, and above all with the Quaternary tectonic and geomorphological evolution of the area, the main factors responsables for the evolution of the…