PLIOCENE AND PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE PESCULUSE AREA (SALENTO, ITALY)

Abstract

An integrated sedlmentologic and palaeoecologic approach is used to define the evolving Pliocene, Early and Middle Pleistocene depositional environments in the Pesculuse area. Lower Pliocene deposits show evidence of a quiet outer-shelf setting, apparently not affected by the physiography of the transgressed palaeotopography. In contrast, the onlap of Upper Pliocene carbonate deposits onto topographic highs testifies that sedlmentation was preceded by a block-faulting event. The Late Pliocene transgression flooded a subaerial karstic landscape. A ridge of Cretaceous limestone created a protected enuronment, In which wavy bedforms of exceptional scale, which are thought to result from tsunami surges, were generated and preserved. At this stage, different palaeocommunities settled in several shallow-water micro-environments.