Investigation of weathering rates and processes affecting plutonic and metamorphic rocks in Sila Massif (Calabria, southern Italy)

Climate (in terms of rainfall amount and temperature), parentrock composition (in terms of mineral stability), plant and animalactivities, morpho-tectonic features and time are the mostimportant factors affecting degree of chemical weathering.Generally, weathering of rocks involves several processes suchas deposition of authigenic minerals, dissolution of primaryphases, ionic exchange and sorption. Chemical weatheringindices evaluate the chemical processes associated withweathering so as to understand their influence on geotechnicalbehavior. Furthermore, weathering produces mineralogical andpetrographical transformation and, thus, a considerable decay ofthe physical-mechanical properties of the original rock,predisposing the slope instability processes (e.g., CASCINI &GULLÀ, 1993; GULLÀ et alii, 2008; BORRELLI et alii, 2012).This study is focused on the western Sila Massif, one of themain mountainous massifs of the Calabria region (southernItaly). This area is characterized by crystalline rocks which haveundergone intense weathering processes. For this reason, the SilaMassif is ideally suited to study relationships between landscapeevolution and the genesis of clastic sediments and soils.