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Mid-Eocene giant slope failure (sedimentary mélanges) in the Ligurian accretionary wedge (NW Italy) and relationships with tectonics, global climate change and the dissociation of gas hydrates

View ORCID ProfileAndrea Festa, Simona Cavagna, View ORCID ProfileEdoardo Barbero, View ORCID ProfileRita Catanzariti and View ORCID ProfileGian Andrea Pini
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 575-586, 14 August 2019, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-020
Andrea Festa
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso, 35, 10125 Torino, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
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  • For correspondence: andrea.festa@unito.it
Simona Cavagna
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso, 35, 10125 Torino, Italy
Roles: [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
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Edoardo Barbero
2Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
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Rita Catanzariti
3Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Roles: [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
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Gian Andrea Pini
4Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
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Abstract

Upper Lutetian–Bartonian sedimentary mélanges, corresponding to ancient mud-rich submarine mass transport deposits, are widely distributed over an area c. 300 km long and tens of kilometres wide along the exhumed outer part of the External Ligurian accretionary wedge in the Northern Apennines. The occurrence of methane-derived carbonate concretions (septarians) in a specific tectonostratigraphic position below these sedimentary mélanges allows us to document the relationships among a significant period of regional-scale slope failure, climate change (the Early and Mid-Eocene Optimum stages), the dissociation of gas hydrates and accretionary tectonics during the Ligurian Tectonic Phase (early–mid-Lutetian). The distribution of septarians at the core of thrust-related anticlines suggests that the dissociation of gas hydrates was triggered by accretionary tectonics rather than climate change. The different ages of slope failure emplacement and the formation of the septarians support the view that the dissociation of gas hydrates was not the most important trigger for slope failure. The latter occurred during a tectonic quiescence stage associated with a regressive depositional trend, and probably minor residual tectonic pulses, which followed the Ligurian Tectonic Phase, favouring the dynamic re-equilibrium of the External Ligurian accretionary wedge. Our findings provide useful information for a better understanding of the factors controlling giant slope failure events in modern accretionary settings, where they may cause tsunamis.

  • © 2019 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights reserved
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Journal of the Geological Society: 177 (3)
Journal of the Geological Society
Volume 177, Issue 3
May 2020
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Mid-Eocene giant slope failure (sedimentary mélanges) in the Ligurian accretionary wedge (NW Italy) and relationships with tectonics, global climate change and the dissociation of gas hydrates

Andrea Festa, Simona Cavagna, Edoardo Barbero, Rita Catanzariti and Gian Andrea Pini
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 575-586, 14 August 2019, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-020
Andrea Festa
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso, 35, 10125 Torino, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Andrea Festa
  • For correspondence: andrea.festa@unito.it
Simona Cavagna
1Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso, 35, 10125 Torino, Italy
Roles: [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Edoardo Barbero
2Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Equal)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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  • ORCID record for Edoardo Barbero
Rita Catanzariti
3Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Roles: [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
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  • ORCID record for Rita Catanzariti
Gian Andrea Pini
4Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Gian Andrea Pini

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Mid-Eocene giant slope failure (sedimentary mélanges) in the Ligurian accretionary wedge (NW Italy) and relationships with tectonics, global climate change and the dissociation of gas hydrates

Andrea Festa, Simona Cavagna, Edoardo Barbero, Rita Catanzariti and Gian Andrea Pini
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 575-586, 14 August 2019, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-020
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  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Regional setting
    • Mid-Eocene sedimentary mélange
    • Remnants of the mid-Eocene ELAW and distribution of septarian concretions
    • Septarian concretions
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