Jurassic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Umbria–Marche Basin

This dissertation investigates the Jurassic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Umbria–Marche Basin, focusing on the structural fragmentation of the Calcare Massiccio carbonate platform during Tethyan rifting. The study’s primary methodological contribution lies in its shift from the traditional analysis of isolated, high-significance outcrops toward the systematic, continuous mapping of tectono-sedimentary contacts. By tracing these contacts along their full spatial extent, the research constrains the original geometry of Jurassic paleo-escarpments, overcoming the interpretative challenges posed by subsequent Neogene deformations. Extensive fieldwork conducted from the Gola del Furlo to the Sibillini Mountains, supported by high-resolution 1:10,000 mapping of the Pale, Monte Bove, and Frasassi structures, reveals an organized fault pattern with recurrent geometries. Findings demonstrate that while tectonic activity slowed after the Sinemurian, episodic reactivation persisted into the Middle Jurassic, as evidenced by complex neptunian dike systems and resedimented megabreccias. This mapping-based approach successfully identifies a structural style characterized by small, elongated, or wedge-shaped structural highs bounded by conjugate fault sets, likely linked to regional transfer zones. Ultimately, this methodology provides a robust, field-validated framework for reconstructing the paleotectonic architecture of the Tethyan margin and provides a solid basis for future regional-scale geological syntheses.