Conveners:
Angelo Cipriani (Dipartimento per il Servizio Geologico d'Italia, ISPRA)
Andrea Artoni (Università degli Studi di Parma)
Sabatino Ciarcia (Università degli Studi del Sannio)
Domenico Cosentino (Università degli Studi Roma Tre)
angelo.cipriani@isprambiente.it
The Italian peninsula represents one of the most complex geological mosaics in the Mediterranean, where the long-term convergence between the African and European plates has produced, and is producing, an intricate geodynamic and paleogeographic framework, which results in present days Alps-Apennines system. A comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional and multitemporal development of the geological architecture of the national territory is therefore essential. This understanding is strictly related to the effective exploration and usage of georesources, diversification of energy supplies, and mitigation of climate-related impacts, with significant social and environmental implications. An in-depth understanding of the geological architecture of the national territory would remain severely limited without a robust foundation in regional geology, a refined knowledge of the stratigraphic architecture and of the dynamics of sedimentary basin evolution, which are not only fundamental academic goals but also a practical necessity for the sustainable management of georesources and the assessment of geological risks. The integration of detailed field-based observations with modern geodynamic models allows to better reconstruct the paleogeographic settings that controlled the lithofacies distribution and basin evolution, ultimately improving our understanding of the tectono-sedimentary history of the Alps–Apennines system from the Tethyan domains to the present-day orogenic configuration. Geological mapping plays a pivotal role in this process. New data emerging from multidisciplinary research activities and geological mapping projects significantly refine the constraints on regional geology and crustal dynamics. We therefore warmly invite contributions exploring the regional geology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, geodynamics, and paleogeography of (but not limited to) the Alps-Apennines system, particularly encouraging submissions derived from new geological mapping projects, stratigraphic surveys, and integrated sedimentary basin analysis that refine our understanding of the national territory and surrounding areas.