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The northern Adamello batholith (European Southern Alps) is crosscut by E-W trending pseudotachylyte-bearing paleoseismic fault zones composed of multiple subparallel fault strands. The main faults are the Gole Strette Fault Zone (GSFZ), here discussed in detail, and the Gole Larghe Fault Zone (GLFZ). The western ending of the GSFZ intersects the propagation of the Gallinera Thrust, a regional structure of Late Cretaceous age, which was truncated and dismembered by the late Eocene - early Oligocene emplacement of the Adamello batholith. Fault slip analysis and paleostress reconstruction suggest that the GSFZ and the Gallinera Thrust were both active during dextral transpression related with Oligocene orogen-parallel shearing along the Periadriatic Fault System. The remnants of the Gallinera Thrusts within the Adamello were reactivated as dextral-reverse faults and do not include pseudotachylytes. The pseudotachylyte-bearing GSFZ show changing structural features from west to east: the fault dip angle decreases from 80° to 45°, the slip vector passes from strike-slip (pitch of 20°) to oblique (pitch of 35° to 45°), and the fault zone thickness increases (> 800 m at the intersection with the GLFZ). The GSFZ is an immature and strong fault as indicated by (i) the local geometry controlled by precursor joints; (ii) the along-strike segmentation; and (iii) the spread of seismogenic faults into kilometre-thick fault zones.

Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) influence landscape development in tectonically active mountain ranges. Nevertheless, the relationships among tectonics, DSGSDs, and topography are poorly known. In this paper, the distribution of DSGSDs and their relationships with tectonic structures and active processes, surface processes, and topography were investigated at different scales. Over 100 DSGSDs were mapped in a 5000 km2 sector of the central Eastern Alps between the Valtellina, Engadine and Venosta valleys. Detailed lineament mapping was carried out by photo-interpretation in a smaller area (about 750 km2) including the upper Valtellina and Val Venosta. Fault populations were also analysed in the field and their mechanisms unravelled, allowing to identify different structural stages, the youngest being consistent with the regional pattern of the ongoing crustal deformation. Finally, four DSGSD examples have been investigated in detail by geological and 2D geomechanical modelling. DSGSDs affect more than 10% of the study area, and mainly cluster in areas where anisotropic fractured rock mass and high local relief occur. Their onset and development is subjected to a strong passive control by mesoscopic and major tectonic features, including regional nappe boundaries as well as NW–SE, N–S and NE–SW trending recent brittle structures. The kinematic consistency between these structures and the pattern of seismicity suggests that active tectonics may force DSGSDs, although field evidence and numerical models indicate slope debuttressing related to deglaciation as a primary triggering mechanism.

Fault analysis between the Dead Sea Transform and the Euphrates region in northern Syria shows two main directions of compression connected to the recent evolution of the northwestern wedge of the Arabian plate. E–W open folds due to N–S compression gently deform the Cretaceous to Tortonian successions of the Aleppo Plateau and the eastern termination of the Palmyrides west of the Euphrates. Conjugate sets of strike-slip and normal faults, pre- as well as post-dating folding occur in the plateau and are still consistent with the same stress field. N–S normal faults cross recent deposits and control Quaternary volcanoes along the Euphrates, suggesting the persistence of this stress regime. A NW–SE compression related to the Syrian segment of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) was detected in the western part of the study area. The activation of large N–S left-lateral strike-slip and WNW–ESE right-lateral faults follows in time the growth of in-line folds and thrusts. Permutation of the σ1 and σ2 stress axes is related to activation of NW–SE normal faults, which generally accompany strike-slip faults and post-date E–W folds within the plateau. Recent E–W extension in the Euphrates region is consistent with a horizontal N–S maximum direction of compression and seems to be partially coeval with the stress regime induced by the DST. This stress pattern can be explained by the superposition of the northward push of the Arabian plate to the N–S left-lateral shearing along the DST.

Detailed mapping and structural work in Upper Hunza Valley, Pakistan, have enlightened the tectonics and the structural evolution of the sedimentary cover of Northern Karakorum. This includes the Northern Sedimentary Belt (NSB) with the Guhjal and Sost Units (Permian-Cretaceous), cropping out north of the Karakorum Axial Batholith (KAB); the NSB is bounded to the north by the Misgar Unit, consisting of slates of unknown age. In the Sost Unit a mid-Cretaceous deformed belt is sealed with a strong angular unconformity by the Late Cretaceous formations. Folds within the mid-Cretaceous belt possibly indicate north-vergent transport. Stacking of NE- to N-vergent thrusts sheets postdates the deposition of Cretaceous sediments, which are largely included within tectonic slices developed along the southern flank of the Sost stack. The southern part of the stack is in turn intruded by the Palaeogene Kuk pluton belonging to the Batura Unit of the KAB. S- to SSE-vergent thrusting was successively active, stacking steep north-dipping thrust sheets along the northern side of the Sost Unit, forming a complex antiformal stack, well exposed around Sost. High angle pure dip-slip reverse and oblique dextral motions are recorded by fault-slip data and calc-mylonites along major faults, forming a transpressive fault zone close to the contact between the Sost and Misgar Units. During this stage, the Misgar Unit was thrusted southward above the Sost Unit along the Northern Fault. Prosecution of dextral motion was also active afterwards along the boundary between the two units. The importance of wrench tectonics is also indicated by widespread activation of E-W sinistral strike-slip faults in the whole study area, generally moving along pre-existent fault planes.

The Neogene and Quaternary volcanism of Central Anatolia represents the central sector of the Anatolian Volcanic Arc. related to continental collision between the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian plates. It is closely associated with a complex system of tectonic depressions related to brittle deformations of transtentional type and which commenced in the Late Miocene. The volcanism here considered can be divided into three main periods of activity, separated by important deformative and erosive events. The first period is represented by a mostly andesitic effusive activity. The second period is characterized by the emplacement of a thick ignimbritic sequence and shows an areal distribution up to 11,000 km 2 . Seven ignimbrite units have been recognized. The three main units were found at a distance of more than 100 km from the presumed source area. Geological and sedimentological data lead us to recognize the Melendiz Dag volcanic complex and the Ciftlik caldera as the probable ignimbrites source vent. During the third period great andesitic-basaltic stratovolcanoes and a number of prevalently acid monogenic centres developed. The relationship between the volcanic activity is clearly conditioned by the main transcurrent fault systems present in Central Anatolia. The Neogene-Quaternary volcanic activity prevalently developed along the ENE-WSW Karaman-Sivas lineament. Most of the great central volcanoes developed at the intersection between the ENE-WSW trends and the Ecemis and Tuz Golu transcurrent faults. The structural interpretation of the Quaternary monogenic centres is more difficult. Probably they are related to the very recent N-S fault swarms which cross the Anatolides and the Taurus Range.