Morphotectonics of the Pescara River basin (Central Italy)

ABSTRACT

This work presents a morphotectonic map of the Pescara River basin (1:40,000 scale), located in the piedmont-hilly area of the central-eastern Apennines (Abruzzo Region, Italy), and stretching from the eastern slope of the chain (Maiella Massif, Morrone Mt. and Gran Sasso Range) to the Adriatic coast. It is the outcome of an extensive drainage basin-scale geomorphological analysis and incorporates four main sections: orography and hydrography; morphotectonics; azimuthal analysis of the morphotectonic elements; Quaternary fluvial deposits and morphotectonic profiles. The morphotectonic map provides a basis for the study of morphotectonic features at basin-scale, the reconstruction of paleo-landscapes with special regard to drainage network evolution, and the recognition of tectonic control and selective erosion on the landscape. It also contributes to an outline of the main phases of the post-orogenic landscape evolution of the piedmont-hilly area of the Apennines, resulting from the link of alternating morphotectonic and surface processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Geomorphological mapping
• fluvial terraces
• longitudinal profiles
• drainage evolution
• Pleistocene
• Adriatic piedmont

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Open Data service (http://opendata.regione.abruzzo.it/) of Abruzzo Region for providing the topographic data and orthoimages used in this work, and Silvano Agostini (Soprintendenza Archeologia dell’Abruzzo) for providing archaeological data and helpful discussion concerning the Quaternary geology.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Tommaso Piacentini http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5007-7677

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the ‘G. d’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara funds (T. Urbano, School of Advanced Studies ‘G. d’Annunzio’; T. Piacentini, Department of Engineering and Geology).