Travertine depositional systems of Central Italy: Rapolano Terme and the Acque Albule Basin. An overview of geometries and lithofacies associations of the depositional setting

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3301/GFT.2024.03 - Pages: 1-35

¹Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Roma "Sapienza", P. le Aldo Moro, 5 - 00185 Roma, Italia.

²Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via La Pira, 4 - 50121 Firenze, Italia.

Corresponding author e-mail: a.mancini@uniroma1.it

Central western Italy is famous for the occurrence of several Quaternary travertine depositional systems. Travertine deposition in this area is controlled by the degassing of CO2-charged groundwater, circulating in deep carbonate-evaporitic reservoirs and associated to recent magmatic and tectonic activity. This guide provides the opportunity to recognise the different geometries and the lithofacies associations of travertine depositional system of central Italy. In order to provide a complete view of travertine depositional environment-lithofacies associations and the dimension of the depositional system, the Rapolano Terme area and the Acque Albule Basin field examples were selected and described in different field stops. The field trip could be performed in two days. The guide is organised into five different parts: an overview of continental carbonate deposits and a general geological setting of the Northern-Central Apennines, followed by the geological setting of the two selected areas. The chapter dedicated to the stop is organised in a brief overview of the depositional systems, followed by the location of the field stops. The conclusion chapter provides, finally, a brief explanation and the position of the stops respect to the travertine depositional system observed.

Rapolano Terme, Acque Albule Basin, Lapis Tiburtinus travertines, lithofacies associations, depositional environments, central Italy.