Modes of stepwise eastward migration of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea back‐arc extension: Evidences from the northern Latium offshore (Italy)

Abstract

The structural architecture of a portion of the eastern side of the Tyrrhenian Sea back-arc basin has been defined reinterpreting a public data set made up by seismic reflection profiles. A detailed reconstruction of the extensional front migration trough time across the area has been achieved. Migration has been defined by identifying the generation of unconformities in the graben-like basins developed in the area, as due to the activation and deactivation of normal faults. Such phenomena are part of a tectonic process that also involved blocks rotation, crustal thinning, and stretching. Syn-rift extension affected the area since the early to middle Miocene (our estimate), principally interesting the north-westernmost sectors. During late Miocene and throughout the Plio-Quaternary the extensional front moved stepwise toward the southeastern and eastern sectors. Widespread postrift conditions established over the whole area since the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene. Since the Quaternary, the locus of active extension further migrated toward the present onshore area, where a pronounced volcanic phase developed. In this evolutionary framework the rates of observed migration could be correlated with the acceleration of Calabrian slab rollback since Pliocene. Furthermore, direct evidences of magmatism were not recognized in the offshore. Although the observed crustal thinning, the absence of volcanic bodies in the study area could be related to normal faults which were unable to sufficiently extend the crust, in association with lower crust and mantle processes unable to produce melts.

Interactions between propagating rotational rifts and linear rheological heterogeneities: Insights from three‐dimensional laboratory experiments

“…Overall, the eastward migration of hyperextended crust sections documented in the experiments (Figure a) is also similar to the evolution of the Vavilov Basin, in which mantle exhumation started in the Lower Pliocene and subsequently migrated eastward [ Milia and Torrente , ]. A similar stepwise eastward migration of extension has been interpreted for the Latium offshore basin, in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea [ Buttinelli et al ., ].…”

Reconstruction of rocks petrophysical properties as input data for reservoir modeling

“…The interpretation of the available well (Figure ) and seismic reflection data [e.g., Buttinelli et al ., ] shows the presence of a massive caprock of about 1800 m of thickness, constituted by the marly calcarenites and clayish marls of the Liguride complex, above a deep reservoir hosting a regional saline aquifer belongs to the Tuscan Nappe.…”

“…The stratigraphic setting comprises from bottom to top: Upper Triassic evaporites, Jurassic to Cretaceous, mainly calcareous, successions, and Cretaceous‐Oligocene flyschoid sediments [ Fazzini et al ., ]. Two major sedimentary cycles close the sequence: the Miocene to Middle Pliocene Lower (with subordinate semi‐autochthonous units) and the Middle Pliocene to Quaternary Upper cycles [ Bartole , ; Buttinelli et al ., ].…”

“…These parameters are required in evaluating the regional heat flow, the heat transfer for investigating engineering solutions, and the potential of geothermal reservoirs. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 10.1002/2016GC006548 major sedimentary cycles close the sequence: the Miocene to Middle Pliocene Lower (with subordinate semi-autochthonous units) and the Middle Pliocene to Quaternary Upper cycles [Bartole, 1984[Bartole, , 1990[Bartole, , 1995Buttinelli et al, 2014].…”

“…Numerical modeling was performed by means of SHEMAT software package [Clauser, 2003]. An offshore carbonatic reservoir located in central Italy, already identified as potential target for geological storage of gas (CO 2 and/or CH 4 ) [Procesi et al, 2013;Buttinelli et al, 2014;Cantucci et al, 2015] was selected as case study to test this approach.…”