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Tephrochronological study in the quaternary Val d’Agri intermontane basin (Southern Apennines, Italy)

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Abstract

In the south-eastern depocentre of the Val d’Agri basin (Southern Apennines), a volcanic ash layer crops out interbedded within poorly structured alluvial fan deposits of Late Pleistocene age. Textural, depositional and pedological features of this weathered layer suggest a primary deposition from a pyroclastic fall-out of volcanic ash. Chemical analyses of feldspars show an alkali trachytic composition and accessory minerals association allow to correlate this tephra layer with the regionally dispersed Y-7 marine tephra layer (Tufo Verde Epomeo eruption, Ischia volcano), dated at 56 ± 4 ka. The Val d’Agri tephra here described for the first time was deposited during MIS Stage 3. Its recovery and characterization permit to contribute to regional correlation of the Mediterranean climatic and volcanic events from marine to continental successions and to describe landscape evolution of the Southern Apennines during glacial–interglacial cycles.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to E. Garzanti for the laboratory of Sedimentary Petrology facility (Department of Geological Sciences and Geotechnologies, Università Degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca). Authors acknowledge the “Centro Interdipartimentale di Microscopia Elettronica” (Università di Milano-Bicocca) for the EDS microprobe facility and the Department of Geological Sciences and Geotechnologies (Università di Milano-Bicocca) for X-ray diffraction facilities. V. Diella is thanked for providing REE standards. This work has been supported by FIRST 2004–2007 funds to R. Bersezio and CNR-IDPA Milan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Irene Zembo & Riccardo Bersezio

  2. CNR-Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milan, Italy

    Pietro Vignola & Riccardo Bersezio

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche e Geotecnologiche, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazzale della Scienza 4, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Sergio Andò

  4. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Ambientali, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, 22100, Como, Italy

    Luigina Vezzoli

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  1. Irene Zembo
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Correspondence to Irene Zembo.

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Zembo, I., Vignola, P., Andò, S. et al. Tephrochronological study in the quaternary Val d’Agri intermontane basin (Southern Apennines, Italy). Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 100, 173–187 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-009-0501-x

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