The Late Quatemary evolution of the western Coastal Range, an area of northem Calabria located al... more The Late Quatemary evolution of the western Coastal Range, an area of northem Calabria located along the Tyrrhenian coast, has been reconstructed by means of integrated stratigraphical and geomorphological studies. We have focused on alluvial-fan landforms and deposits. Three generations of alluvial-fans (Middle?-Upper Pleistocene to Holocene), telescopically arranged, have been distinguished, also on the basis of facies analysis, which has indicated that gravity processes were dominant in fan construction; in particular debris-avalanche, debris-flow and sheetflood deposits have been characterised. [...]
The Santuario della Madonna Cave, located near Praia a Mare (Cosenza), along the northwestern coa... more The Santuario della Madonna Cave, located near Praia a Mare (Cosenza), along the northwestern coast of Calabria (southern Italy), has an impressive stratigraphy, with occupation phases spanning from the late Paleolithic to the advanced phases of the Middle Bronze Age. Recently, a new excavation area has been opened in the cave from which shortlived vegetal remains were sampled and submitted for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating. The aim of this study was to define an accurate chronology of the different cultural aspects and to explore the potentialities resulting from application of advanced statistical tools for 14C data analysis in such a context.
ABSTRACT This study was carried out in a river catchment in southern Italy to determine some poss... more ABSTRACT This study was carried out in a river catchment in southern Italy to determine some possible relationships between the distribution of chemical elements and size fractions in stream sediments. Through the presence of variations in concentration of some elements in each size fraction, it was possible to examine the influence of particle-size on geochemical distribution of stream sediments. From this point of view, it is very useful to study the Lese river catchment because it is representative of the whole Mediterranean area given its characteristics, which are common to other similar areas. Sediment samples were collected from 13 stations in the catchment area. The chemical compositions of bulk samples coupled with those of some selected particle size fractions were analyzed for 25 elements by using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and for their sedimentological characteristics. Particle-size analysis was focused on trying to understand how samples from the same site showed different geochemical distribution in the different size fractions. Stream sediments in the study area consist mostly of sand particles. Chemical analyses were performed to determine to what extent the stream sediments retain the geochemical signature of their parent rocks. Some size fractions, and not only the recommended < 150 μm, allowed testing of the validity of FOREGS procedures, which considers the < 150 μm to be the optimum fraction for chemical analysis. The elemental values were analyzed according to the various thresholds imposed by Italian legislative Decree No. 152/2006. This study suggests that the geochemistry of stream sediments also needs to be characterized in order to evaluate the potential chemical pollution of an area.
ABSTRACT Time spans of soil formation and climate changes occurred during the late Pleistocene to... more ABSTRACT Time spans of soil formation and climate changes occurred during the late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene are investigated in a pedostratigraphic succession located in the piedmont of the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Campania region, southern Italy) using a multidisciplinary approach. We focused on five well-known and well-dated primary tephra and four interlayered volcanic soils developed on and/or buried by them. The pyroclastic layers give detailed chronological constraints to the stratigraphy. From bottom to top the following tephra were identified in the field: Pomici di Base (22 ka BP), Pomici Verdoline (19 ka BP), Agnano Pomici Principali (12.26 ka BP), Mercato (8.9 ka BP) and Avellino (3.9 ka BP), all of them representing volcanic products of explosive eruptions of the Somma-Vesuvius, except the third one, sourced from the westerly Phlegrean Fields. The four pedons were characterized in terms of morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological features. Special attention was given to reconstruct the main soil-forming processes, paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions, degree of soil development and associated time ranges. Moreover, further tephra were identified in the field within some of above pedons. One of them was easily recognized and referred to the Agnano Monte Spina eruption (4.2-4.3 ka BP, Phlegrean Fields provenance), whereas the others were not previously known in the Somma-Vesuvius stratigraphy. On the basis of SEM-EDS analyses (chemical composition and morphoscopic observations), coupled with their stratigraphic position and literature compositional databases, they were related to the Soccavo 4-5 and the Tufi Biancastri eruptions from the Phlegrean Fields. This interpretation permitted to fix further age constrains for more detailed assessment of rates of soil formation and climatic interpretation. Major late Quaternary climatic phases are suggested by changes in the extent of development of andic properties, iron-oxide staining, silt-clay translocation, carbonate accumulation and soil microstructure, which are consistent with climate shifts since the upper Last Glacial Maximum to the Lateglacial and the early-middle Holocene climatic optimum.
ABSTRACT Reconstruction of the alteration processes responsible of the formation of clay-rich soi... more ABSTRACT Reconstruction of the alteration processes responsible of the formation of clay-rich soils on Mars based on the study of terrestrial analogues.
The Late Quatemary evolution of the western Coastal Range, an area of northem Calabria located al... more The Late Quatemary evolution of the western Coastal Range, an area of northem Calabria located along the Tyrrhenian coast, has been reconstructed by means of integrated stratigraphical and geomorphological studies. We have focused on alluvial-fan landforms and deposits. Three generations of alluvial-fans (Middle?-Upper Pleistocene to Holocene), telescopically arranged, have been distinguished, also on the basis of facies analysis, which has indicated that gravity processes were dominant in fan construction; in particular debris-avalanche, debris-flow and sheetflood deposits have been characterised. [...]
The Santuario della Madonna Cave, located near Praia a Mare (Cosenza), along the northwestern coa... more The Santuario della Madonna Cave, located near Praia a Mare (Cosenza), along the northwestern coast of Calabria (southern Italy), has an impressive stratigraphy, with occupation phases spanning from the late Paleolithic to the advanced phases of the Middle Bronze Age. Recently, a new excavation area has been opened in the cave from which shortlived vegetal remains were sampled and submitted for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating. The aim of this study was to define an accurate chronology of the different cultural aspects and to explore the potentialities resulting from application of advanced statistical tools for 14C data analysis in such a context.
ABSTRACT This study was carried out in a river catchment in southern Italy to determine some poss... more ABSTRACT This study was carried out in a river catchment in southern Italy to determine some possible relationships between the distribution of chemical elements and size fractions in stream sediments. Through the presence of variations in concentration of some elements in each size fraction, it was possible to examine the influence of particle-size on geochemical distribution of stream sediments. From this point of view, it is very useful to study the Lese river catchment because it is representative of the whole Mediterranean area given its characteristics, which are common to other similar areas. Sediment samples were collected from 13 stations in the catchment area. The chemical compositions of bulk samples coupled with those of some selected particle size fractions were analyzed for 25 elements by using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and for their sedimentological characteristics. Particle-size analysis was focused on trying to understand how samples from the same site showed different geochemical distribution in the different size fractions. Stream sediments in the study area consist mostly of sand particles. Chemical analyses were performed to determine to what extent the stream sediments retain the geochemical signature of their parent rocks. Some size fractions, and not only the recommended < 150 μm, allowed testing of the validity of FOREGS procedures, which considers the < 150 μm to be the optimum fraction for chemical analysis. The elemental values were analyzed according to the various thresholds imposed by Italian legislative Decree No. 152/2006. This study suggests that the geochemistry of stream sediments also needs to be characterized in order to evaluate the potential chemical pollution of an area.
ABSTRACT Time spans of soil formation and climate changes occurred during the late Pleistocene to... more ABSTRACT Time spans of soil formation and climate changes occurred during the late Pleistocene to the middle Holocene are investigated in a pedostratigraphic succession located in the piedmont of the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Campania region, southern Italy) using a multidisciplinary approach. We focused on five well-known and well-dated primary tephra and four interlayered volcanic soils developed on and/or buried by them. The pyroclastic layers give detailed chronological constraints to the stratigraphy. From bottom to top the following tephra were identified in the field: Pomici di Base (22 ka BP), Pomici Verdoline (19 ka BP), Agnano Pomici Principali (12.26 ka BP), Mercato (8.9 ka BP) and Avellino (3.9 ka BP), all of them representing volcanic products of explosive eruptions of the Somma-Vesuvius, except the third one, sourced from the westerly Phlegrean Fields. The four pedons were characterized in terms of morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological features. Special attention was given to reconstruct the main soil-forming processes, paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions, degree of soil development and associated time ranges. Moreover, further tephra were identified in the field within some of above pedons. One of them was easily recognized and referred to the Agnano Monte Spina eruption (4.2-4.3 ka BP, Phlegrean Fields provenance), whereas the others were not previously known in the Somma-Vesuvius stratigraphy. On the basis of SEM-EDS analyses (chemical composition and morphoscopic observations), coupled with their stratigraphic position and literature compositional databases, they were related to the Soccavo 4-5 and the Tufi Biancastri eruptions from the Phlegrean Fields. This interpretation permitted to fix further age constrains for more detailed assessment of rates of soil formation and climatic interpretation. Major late Quaternary climatic phases are suggested by changes in the extent of development of andic properties, iron-oxide staining, silt-clay translocation, carbonate accumulation and soil microstructure, which are consistent with climate shifts since the upper Last Glacial Maximum to the Lateglacial and the early-middle Holocene climatic optimum.
ABSTRACT Reconstruction of the alteration processes responsible of the formation of clay-rich soi... more ABSTRACT Reconstruction of the alteration processes responsible of the formation of clay-rich soils on Mars based on the study of terrestrial analogues.
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