Folk Karst Terminology from Apulia (Southern Italy)

Abstract

Folk karst terminology from Apulia (Southern Italy)Apulia region, in southern Italy, is one of the classical karst areas of the Italian peninsula, being underlain for most of its extension by intensely karstified carbonate rocks. The landscape presents essentially landforms of karstic origin, which have been the object of specific studies for a long time. The three main geographical sub-regions into which Apulia is generally divided (from north to south, the Gargano Promontory, the Murge plateau, and the Salento peninsula) have been characterized in the past centuries by complex and different social and historical events. These resulted in the development, from a linguistical point of view, of very distinct dialects in different parts of Apulia. The terms used to describe the karst landforms, both at the surface and underground, had subsequently been, and still are, extremely variable throughout the region. This paper illustrates some terms used in Apulia to designate and describe the main geomorphological manifestations of the karst landscape. An attempt is made to analyze the terms on the basis of: i) geographical distribution; ii) etymology, with reference to the local dialects; iii) morphological features and genesis of described landforms. Some cases of misuse of terms in the Apulian karst, even in recent times, are also pointed out.

The Use of Geophysical Prospections to Map Ancient Hydraulic Works: The Triglio Underground Aqueduct (Apulia, Southern Italy)

“…The study area (Figure ) is located within the southwest slope of the Murge plateau, where limestone and dolomitic limestone Cretaceous bedrock is overlain by Plio‐Pleistocene calcarenites and clays (Martinis and Robba, ). Locally terraced, the slope descends from the plateau to the Ionian coastline and is incised valleys of fluvio‐karst origin, locally known as gravine (Parise et al ., ). The overall landscape, from the Murge plateau to the coast, is structurally controlled by faults and other tectonic discontinuities, which have produced the topographic relief.…”

Evaluation of InfraRed Thermography Supported by UAV and Field Surveys for Rock Mass Characterization in Complex Settings

“…Morphology of the area is represented by a series of marine terraces parallel to the current coastline, which are the result of the superimposition of the regional uplift of Apulia started during the Lower Pleistocene and of glacio-eustatic sea level changes [42]. Lama Monachile is part of the network of karst valleys which crosses the marine terraces until reaching the Adriatic Sea, and takes its name from local terms describing the main types of karst incisions in Apulia [43,44]. In detail, lame are generally dry and slightly incised valleys with a flat bottom, in which the water flows during exceptional rainfall events, often originating flash floods in the karst environment, with severe negative effects [43,[45][46][47][48].…”

“…Lama Monachile is part of the network of karst valleys which crosses the marine terraces until reaching the Adriatic Sea, and takes its name from local terms describing the main types of karst incisions in Apulia [43,44]. In detail, lame are generally dry and slightly incised valleys with a flat bottom, in which the water flows during exceptional rainfall events, often originating flash floods in the karst environment, with severe negative effects [43,[45][46][47][48].…”

Discontinuity Characterization of Rock Masses through Terrestrial Laser Scanner and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Techniques Aimed at Slope Stability Assessment

“…The most spectacular view of the system is the 55 m deep Grave, a natural opening created by a collapse sinkhole [18,[100][101][102][103], through progressive falls from the vault. The name derives from the pre-Latin term grava, meaning pit or hole, and is locally used to indicate deep entrance to cave systems [104]. This type of feature, generally produced through collapse or cover-collapse sinkhole processes, is very common in the Apulian karst [74,75,[105][106][107].…”