GEODYNAMICS AND SUBSIDENCE IN COASTAL PLAINS: THE HOLOCENE EVOLUTION OF THE CROTONE COASTAL PLAIN, CALABRIA, ITALY

The soil deformation, both vertical and horizontal, of the Crotone area has been investigated using monitoring data from integrated altimetric analysis (CGPS), leveling and SAR, conducted by ENI during the period 2003‐2018 and main results are related to the within a project between UNICAL (Resp. S. Critelli and ENI. These measurements were combined with geological, stratigraphic, geomorphological, and marine geological analysis of the entire peri‐Ionic basin and, specifically, of Crotone Basin, to better understand the parameters and processes controlling subsidence and uplift rates in the area. Data reveal a strong geological influence on subsidence and uplift processes within the coastal‐marinehilly zone of Crotone area (Critelli et al., 2011; Zecchin et al., 2012; Ceramicola et al., 2014). The Crotone Basin is an active Neogene‐Quaternary subsiding area that has accumulated a significant amount of sediment over the past 15 million years (Critelli, 2018). Key factors contributing to subsidence and uplift rates in the basin include sedimentary accumulation, compaction rates, tectonic controls, and the presence of saline horizons and salt tectonics (Zecchin et al., 2013b). Focusing on the Quaternary evolution of the Crotone Basin, active tectonics and high sedimentary accumulation rates have been identified as major drivers of geological changes in the area over the last 1.6 million years (Zecchin et al., 2011). The emerged areas exhibit significant uplift rates, indicated by marine terraces, while the piedmont and hilly regions experience high erosion rates. Marine investigations highlight a complex submarine morphology characterized by fault‐controlled high structures, a narrow continental shelf with submarine valleys, and a dense network of submarine canyons close to the actual coastline (Zecchin et al., 2011; Ceramicola et al., 2014). These results suggest coastal instability due to erosion and localized anomalous subsidence rates, influenced by submarine processes. Integrated altimetric analyses, including CGPS, SAR, and leveling, have been crucial in measuring significant vertical and horizontal soil deformations in the Crotone area (ENI, 2003‐2018). These analyses, coupled with geological investigations, provide valuable insights into the factors and processes controlling subsidence and uplift rates in the entire region (Critelli et al., 2011; Zecchin et al., 2012; Ceramicola et al., 2014). These variations were measured through integrated altimetric analyses (CGPS, SAR, and leveling), which allowed the observation of significant vertical and horizontal soil deformations in the Crotone area. Together with the geological analyses, these measurements clearly reveal parameters and processes governing the subsidence and uplift rates experienced in the entire area.