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The palaeontological, geochemical and mineralogical records of core GNS84-C106 were analysed in order to reconstruct palaeohydrological changes and palaeoproductivity patterns in the Gulf of Salerno for the last 34 kyr. This approach, including compositional analysis of planktonic and benthic assemblages, gave an insight into the relationships between continental, sea surface and bottom environmental changes. The main source of variability of planktonic and benthic assemblages is related respectively to sea surface temperature and palaeobathymetry. Interrelated changes in surface salinity, nutrients, density gradient in the water column and organic fluxes at the bottom act as a secondary factor controlling the composition of both planktonic and benthic assemblages. The highest palaeoproductivity rates were reached during an interval spanning from late glacial to Middle Holocene, in conditions of enhanced continental run-off. During the Early and Middle Holocene, reduced surface salinity and density stratification were also coupled with the development of a deep chlorophyll maximum and enhanced flux or organic matter at the bottom. From about 6.5 kyr B.P. onward, a sharp reduction in palaeoproductivity took place, coupled with an increase in surface salinities.

Integrated sedimentological and micropalaeontological analyses of Montesecco Clays cropping out along the Molise Apennines foothills allow to reconstruct the depositional setting and major palaeoenvironmental changes within the Molise Periadriatic Basin (Apenninic foredeep) during the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. Sedimentological and palaeocological data from four reference stratigraphic sections document an overall shallowing-upward tendency within Montesecco Clays, which is also confirmed by compositional data analysis of microfaunal assemblages. Lower Montesecco Clays (Ururi and Trigno sections) accumulated from the middle epibathyal/bathyal to lower circalittoral zone, while upper Montesecco Clays (Guglionesi and Colle Favaro-Petacciato sections) contain a microfauna indicative of an outer circalittoral to infralittoral environment. As documented by previous subsurface data, the palaeoecological analysis suggests increasing depths in the Molise Periadriatic Basin from NW to SE.

Quantitative analyses of ostracod assemblages from three cores recovered on the Tyrrhenian shelf (Gaeta and Salerno Gulfs) have been applied to construct palaeobathymetric curves. Palaeoclimatic curves obtained from planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nanoplankton, pteropods and pollen are available for the same cores, in addition to sedimentological, mineralogical, geochemical (δ18O, 14C, C/N, CaCO3) and volcanological data with regard to the two cores from the Salerno Gulf. The palaeobathymetric curves reflect the climatic events through the Late Pleistocene–Holocene interval. The climatic events of the Last Glacial (and within it, the Last Glacial Maximum), the Late Glacial (with Oldest Dryas, Bolling-Allerod, Younger Dryas events) and Postglacial have been recognised. The palaeobathymetric curves are also in agreement with palaeoclimatic curves of planktonic assemblages and pollen.

The post-Miocene marine succession of the «Apricena horst» is described with the purpose to verify the chronostratigraphic constraints for the type-locality of the Pirro Nord Faunal Unit. The stratigraphic succession has been subdivided in four units bounded by ubiquitous unconformities with evidence of subaerial exposure. The two basal units (dated late Zanclean to at most early Piacenzian) are formally grouped in the Lago di Varano Fm. that on the whole consists of sediments ranging from lagoonal to circalittoral environments. Within the lowermost unit, a megabreccia is interpreted as the product of a tsunami event. The third unit, Gelasian in age, is informally cited as Calcari a Briozoi Fm. The last unit, the Lower Pleistocene Serracapriola Fm., consists of siliciclastic deltaic sediments and represents the closure of the marine cycle. Conspicuous lateral facies and thickness changes, and the frequency of unconformities are the consequence of an intense synsedimentary tectonic activity developed in the frame of the southern Apulia foredeep closure. In the study area, such activity is documented by two E-W trending normal faults which, during Zanclean and at least the earliest Gelasian, controlled the Pliocene horst-graben system of the Apricena-Poggio Imperiale area.

The Campania Plain is a wide coastal plain characterized by a huge quaternary sedimentary record more than two thousand meters thick. In order to analyze the most superficial portion of the infilling succession an 80 m-long core was drilled in the northern sector of the plain. The upper part of the core is entirely made up of an ignimbrite formation (Campania Ignimbrite, 39 ka), lying unconformably above marine sediments alternating with volcanic products. Macro- and micro-paleontological analysis together with tephrostratigraphy and 39Ar/40Ar dating allowed the paleoenvironmental evolution of the studied area to be reconstructed. The paleogeography during OIS 7 and 5 was characterized by the presence of lagoon systems. These are now located 28 km inland from the present coastline and buried at –40 and –18 m with respect to the present sea level, as a consequence of tectonic subsidence. Two major periods of volcanic activity were recorded in the core prior to Campania Ignimbrite emplacement, confirming the existence of important phases of volcanic activity in the plain during the end of the Middle Pleistocene. The SME multiproxy record represents the first continuous record of volcanic products emplaced in the last 200 ka north of the Campania volcanic sources

Several boreholes were studied in detail through different analytical methods in order to highlight the Holocene relative sea-level changes and the paleogeographical evolution of the southern sector of the Sele river coastal plain (Tyrrhenian Sea, southern Italy). Stratigraphic and paleontological analyses identified a transition from floodplain strata to brackish water, lagoon and upper shoreface deposits. The present setting of the outermost plain strip was interpreted as the result of a barrier-lagoon system which first migrated landward and then seaward during the Holocene. After being exposed to continental conditions during the Last Glacial regression, the study area gradually reached brackish water conditions at the beginning of the Holocene. Shortly before 6.7 ka cal BP the coastline reached its maximum retreat, reaching 1.6 km inland from the present shore. Subsequently, the barrier-lagoon system mainly prograded until marshy conditions were established, which partially persisted until very recent times. Four biological sea-level markers were sampled, and their ages, constrained by AMS 14C dating, span between 6.77 and 7.98 ka cal BP. Altitudes (m above mean sea level) of the collected samples were corrected taking into account the uncertainties of the vertical position with respect to the palaeo sea level. Vertical tectonic displacements were evaluated through the comparison between relative sea-level data and the Holocene predicted sea-level curve, as well as with the available morphotectonic and stratigraphic data. The results suggest negligible rates of vertical tectonic displacements during the Holocene, at least along the southern sector of the Sele river coastal plain.