Late quaternary stratigraphic setting of the Sibari Plain (southern Italy). Hydrogeological implications

The aim of this study is the reconstruction of the late Pleistocene-Holocene stratigraphy of the Sibari Plain (southern Italy) aimed to obtain information about hydrogeological framework. A multidisciplinary approach combining boreholes data and Electrical Resistivity Tomography, allowed us to recognize three electro-stratigraphic units, which consist of upper Pleistocene fluvial and floodplain-littoral facies (deep aquifer), passing upward to Holocene marine-transitional deposits (aquiclude) evolving toward continental sediments (shallow aquifer) related to the Crati delta progradation. The late Quaternary-Holocene plain evolution took place in a tectonic-controlled setting and was driven by the interaction between sea-level variations and local factors. The presence of a NE-SW fault zone controlled the facies and thickness of Holocene sediments along strike of the fault. This active fault zone contributed to determine the plain stratigraphic architecture, the arrangement of the depositional environments, and consequently the stratigraphic pattern.