Geological Map of the Frasassi Gorge (Northern Apennines, Italy)

A new 1:10,000-scale geological map of the Frasassi Gorge (Northern Apennines, Italy) reveals intricate tectono-sedimentary contacts and structural features that refine our understanding of Jurassic paleogeography and post-Jurassic deformation in the region. The study integrates surface and cave surveys to provide a detailed subdivision of the Calcare Massiccio Formation (MAS), improving correlations with adjacent Jurassic units and the Maiolica Formation. Notably, it documents neptunian dykes both at the surface and within caves, suggesting that the Frasassi high was an elongated NW–SE block bounded by conjugate oblique-slip normal faults later reactivated during folding. This updated framework offers valuable insights for future geological research in this UNESCO-listed evaporitic karst system.

Galdenzi, S. (2025). Geological Map of the Frasassi Gorge (Northern Apennines, Italy). Geosciences, 15(12), 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15120454