SESS 1_160211.pub


  

 

Il Quaternario 
Italian Journal of Quaternary Sciences 
24, (Abstract AIQUA, Roma 02/2011),  

Congresso AIQUA 
Il Quaternario Italiano: conoscenze e prospettive 

Roma 24 e 25 febbraio 2011 

EROSION AND SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES IN THE METAPONTO OFFSHORE 
(NORTH IONIAN SEA)  

 
 Maria Rosaria Senatore1, Agostino Meo1, Modestino Boscaino1 & Francesco Latino Chiocci2 

1 Dipartimento di Studi Geologici ed Ambientali Università degli Studi del Sannio, Benevento 
2 Università degli Studi di Roma ‘Sapienza’, Roma 

Corresponding author: M. R. Senatore <senatore@unisannio.it> 
 
ABSTRACT: Senatore M.R. et al., Erosion and sedimentary processes in the Metaponto offshore (North Ionian Sea). 
(IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2011) 
This study is based on surveys carried out to realize the Sheet N° 42 - Metaponto of the MAGIC project and pertain to 
the analysis of the morpho-dynamic processes acting on the seafloor by means of multibeam data and seismo-
stratigraphyc interpretation of Chirp and Sparker 1 kJ profiles. The active recognized sedimentary processes have 
allowed to define morphological units and to distinguish three sectors with different erosional and depositional forms. 
 

RIASSUNTO: Senatore M.R. et al., Erosione e processi sedimentari nell’offshore di Metaponto (Mare Ionio 
Settentrionale). (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2011) 
Questo studio si basa su indagini svolte per realizzare il foglio n° 42 - Metaponto del progetto MAGIC e riguarda 
l'analisi dei processi morfo-dinamici che agiscono sul fondale marino utilizzando dati multibeam e l’interpretazione 
sismo-stratigrafica di profili Chirp e Sparker 1 kJ. I processi attivi sedimentari riconosciuti hanno permesso di definire le 
unità morfologiche e di distinguere tre settori con differenti forme di erosione e deposizione. 
 

Key words: marine geology, Basilicata offshore, submarine landslide, canyon 
 

Parole chiave: geologia marina, settore marino della Basilicata, frane sottomarine, canyon  

This study is based on surveys carried out to 
realize the Sheet N° 42 - Metaponto. of the MAGIC 
project (Marine Geohazards along the Italian 
Coasts). The project, funded by the National Civil 
Protection Department, aims to define geological 
hazard features along the Italian coasts through 
the analysis of seafloor geomorphology. 
The Metaponto offshore is part of the Gulf of 
Taranto, located between the Apennine Thrust 
Sheets to the west and the Apulia Foreland to the 
east, representing the Plio-Pleistocene southern 
extension of the chain foredeep (Bradanic 
foredeep) (PESCATORE & SENATORE, 1986). 
The western sector of the Gulf of Taranto is 
characterized by the presence of two thrust fronts: 
the most recent one is the edge of the 
allochthonous units, while the second, which is 
deep-seated and older than the previous one, is 
located in a more internal position and affects the 
western inner Apulia Platform (SENATORE et al, 
1988). Corigliano and Amendolara basins, located 
in the zone behind the two thrust fronts and 
unconformably lying on the deformed units, can be 
interpreted as piggyback basins. 
The Gulf of Taranto central sector is occupied by 
the Taranto Valley, located between the front of 
the allochthonous units and the Apulia Foreland; it 
represents the present foredeep of the Southern 
Apennine chain. 
The eastern sector of the Gulf of Taranto 
represents the present Southern Apennine 

Foreland (BELFIORE et al., 1981, ROSSI et al., 1982; 
TRAMUTOLI et al., 1984; PESCATORE & SENATORE, 
1986) mainly affected by normal sub-vertical faults. 
The analysis of the morpho-dynamic processes 
acting on the seafloor of the Metaponto offshore, 
was performed by means of multibeam data and 
seismo-stratigraphyc interpretation of Chirp and 
Sparker 1 kJ profiles. 
The physiographic domains identified are the 
continental shelf, that, from north to south, shows 
different morphological features, and the 
continental slope, with a very uneven morphology. 
The active sedimentary processes acting in the 
two recognized domains have been represented 
through suitable morpho-bathimetric elements 
allowing to define different morphological units. 
Thus the study area has been divided into three 
sectors (Fig. 1) defined by means of erosional and 
depositional identified forms: 
- the north-eastern sector; 
- the north-western sector; 
- the southern sector. 
 
The north-eastern sector corresponds to very 
northern part of the Apulia Ionian continental slope. 
The sea-floor shows the typical concave-convex 
form linked to widespread gravitational instability 
probably extending beyond the study area. The 
headscarps are identified from a depth of 300 m 
and have a maximum width of 4 km. The deposit 
area occurs from a depth of 550 m and reaches 

 
 
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64  

50 km2. The heads carve the edge of the shelf very 
deeply, shaping it in a morphology defined as 
"cauliflower". Many linear incisions have been 
identified where the average sloping is of 7 - 8%. 
They in part disappear down dip where the sloping 
decreases significantly reaching values of about 
4%. 
At greater depths, between 500 m and 800 m, the 
northern canyon system reaches the depressed 
area of the Valley of Taranto, stretching along the 
toe of the continental slope. The valley, that 
represents the main sediments collector of this 
canyon system, is both a bypass and depositional 
zone of sediment. 
The southern canyon system, is located from the 
mouths of the Basento River and Agri River. At 
depth of 550 m, the canyon has width about 8 km; 
in this area the phenomena of transport and 
temporary deposition of sediments coming from 
the head occur. At the end of the canyon a strip 
parallel to the slope develops, sloping less than 
4%, in which depositional bodies have been 
identified, stretched according to the axis of the 
canyon, probably linked to the last lowstand of the 
sea level and covered by a sediment drape .  
 
The southern sector comprises both the 
continental shelf and slope and extends from the 
mouth of the Agri River up to the Rocca Imperiale 
Marina offshore.  
The continental shelf is well developed, has an 
average width of 8 km with an almost flat trend up 
to the edge, located at a depth of 130 m. The shelf 
marginal zone, for a length of 17 km and an width 
of 2 km, presents at the bottom undulations almost 
parallel to the margin itself. They have heights 
ranging from 3 to 6 m and wavelengths between 
250 m and 500 m. The undulations greatest 
development occur between the offshore of Lido di 
Policoro and Agri River. According to REBESCO et 
al., (2009), which identified the same forms, in the 
southern part of Gulf of Taranto, both on the shelf 
and at greater depths, these undulations could 
represent either deposition of sediments from 
hyperpicnal flows or deformations due to slow 
sediment movements (creep). According to 
PETRUCCIONE et al. (2010) IORIO et al. (2010); 
SENATORE et al. (2010), the undulations, very 
common on continental shelves, are linked to slow 
sediment deformation triggered by the combined 
effect of high sedimentation rate, typical of the pro-
delta areas, and gas trapped in the sediment, 
which weakening the cohesion trigger the sliding 
process.  
The continental slope develops from a depth of 
130 m, extending toward east for about 15 km, to a 
depth of 1400 m. The sloping is not constant; 
values of 7% gradually decrease up to 2% from a 

the eastern edge of the Taranto Valley, where 
shows a width ranging from 3.5 km to 1.7 km. The 
total area occupied by this gravitational process is 
of about 25 km2, with an average length of about 6 
km and an estimated volume of mobilized 
sediment approximately of 245 km3, assessed by 
means of seismic reflection profiles. 
 
The north-western sector comprises both the 
continental shelf and slope and extends from 
Marina di Ginosa to the mouth of the River Agri. 
The shelf from north to south shows a progressive 
increase in width, from 2 km off Metaponto Lido, 5 
km near the town of Scanzano Ionico, up to 6 km 
off the mouth of the River Agri.  
The identified morpho-bathimetric elements are 
erosional furrows carving increasingly toward the 
shelf margin the bottom sediments. They achieve 
their maximum development in the offshore of the 
rivers mouths of Bradano, Basento, Cavone and 
Agri.  
The continental slope extends from a depth of 30 
m to 600 m. Its upper part, up to an average depth 
of 450 m, is characterized by the presence of two 
Canyon systems, which cover a total area of about 

Fig. 1, Study area; the different indicated sectors are 
described in the text. 
Area di studio; i diversi settori indicati, sono descritti nel 
testo. 

 

M.R. Senatore et al. 



  

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Ms. received: 
Testo ricevuto il 

(Italy). Spec. Publ. Int. Ass. Sediment., 8, 169- 182. 
PETRUCCIONE E., AIELLO G., CAPRETTO G., SENATORE 

M.R.,MARSELLA E., IORIO M. (2010) – Late Pleistocene 
and Holocene geomorphology of a channel and 
sediment marine deformation process on the Cuma 
outer shelf (Eastern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy): An 
integrated approach. CNR, Rassegna delle attività 
marine e marittime, accettato per la stampa . 

REBESCO M., NEAGU R.C., CUPPARI A., MUTO F., 
ACCETTELLA D., DOMINICI R., COVA A., ROMANO C., 
CABURLOTTO A. (2009) - Morphobathymetric analysis 
and evidence of submarine mass movements in the 
western Gulf of Taranto (Calabria margin, Ionic Sea). 
Int. J. Earth Sci. (Geol. Rundsch), 98, 791- 805. 

ROSSI S., AUROUX C., & MASCLE J., (1983) – The Gulf of 
Taranto (Southern Italy) : Seismic stratigraphy and 
shallow structure. Mar. Geol., 51, 327- 346. 

SENATORE M.R. (1987) – Caratteri sedimentari e tettonici 
di un bacino di avanfossa. Il Golfo di Taranto. Mem. 
Soc. Geol. It., 38, 177- 204. 

SENATORE M.R., NORMARK W.R., PESCATORE T. & ROSSI 
S. (1988) – Structural framework of the Gulf of Taranto 
(Ionian Sea). Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 41, 533- 539. 

SENATORE M.R., CHIOCCI F. L., PESCATORE T., DI 
NOCERA S. et al. (2010) – Note Illustrative al F. 508 
“Policoro” della Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 
1:50.000. ISPRA – Servizio Geologico d’Italia. 

TRAMUTOLI M., PESCATORE T., SENATORE M.R. & 
MIRABILE L. (1984) – Interpretation of reflection high 
resolution seismic profiles through the Gulf of Taranto 
(Ionian Sea, Eastern Mediterranean. The structure of 
Apennine and Apulia deposits. Boll. Oceanol. Teor. 
Appl., 2, 33- 52  

 

depth of 400 m to 600 m; from 600 m, the slope 
increases again up to 22% at about 1000 m.  
The slope is characterised: 
- between 130 and 400 m by a narrow-spaced 
network of gullies with small incision,  
- between 400 m to 600 m by a depositional area 
which has been interpreted as intraslope basin 
- between 600 m to 1400 m, by an area affected by 
landslides, cutting the sediments of the intraslope 
basin and carrying them to the Taranto Valley. 
The rough morphology of the slope must be linked 
to the complex structure of the substrate that 
corresponding to the front of the chain. 
 
REFERENCES  
 
BELFIORE A., BONADUCE G., GARAVELLE G., MASCELLARO 

P., MASOLI M., MIRABILE L., MONCHARMONT M., MORETTI 
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B., PUGLIESE N., RUSSO B., SANSONE E., SANATORE 
M.R., SGARELLA F., SPEZIE G., THOREZ J., TRAMUTOLI 
M., & VULTAGGIO M. (1981) – La sedimentazione 
recente del Golfo di Taranto (Alto Ionio, Italia). Ann. Ist. 
Navale, Napoli, 49-50, a 3, 1- 196. 

IORIO M., CAPRETTO G., PETRUCCIONE E., MARSELLA E., 
SENATORE M.R. (2010) - Defining sedimentary and 
gravitative processes in highstand prodelta deposits by 
means of multiproxy analysis: an example from the 
Phlaegrean offshore, Eastern Tyrrhenian Margin, 
sottomesso per la stampa. 

PESCATORE T. & SENATORE M.R. (1986) – A comparison 
between a present- day (Taranto Gulf) and a Miocene 
(Irpinian basin) foredeep of the Southern Apennines 

 
 
 January 20, 2011 
 20 gennaio 2011 

Erosion and sedimentary processes in the ...