Geological Framework of PO Plain and Adriatic Foreland System

The Po Plain and Adriatic foreland is shared by the converging Southalpine, Apennine and Dinaric/Albanian chains. As well as in the bordering chain sectors, the area compressional architecture is overprinted on the polyphasic framework produced by thr Mesozoic extensional cycles. The Cenozoic compression involved the area with different times and directions of tectonic transport: the Dinaric/Albanian system since Paleocene to Pleistocene, the Southern Alps one during Oligo-Miocene and the Apennines system during Pliocene-Pleistocene. The effect of opposite chain segments interference was a multiple system of differently evolving foredeeps not exclusively played by the chains at their back. Time and amount of flexuring were controlled also by the competition of the opposite chain activity with formation of transversal positive belts that played the role of flexure transfer zones.