TECTONIC FRAMEWORK OF THE NORTHERN LIGURIAN APENNINE, ITALY

In this paper a structural sketch of the northern Ligurian Apennine is proposed. This area is characterized by the superposition of the Anto la unit over a stack of tectonic units belonging to the Internal Ligur ide domain, i.e. part of the western Tethys oceanic basin. These units , referred to as the Portello, Vermallo, Due Ponti and Gottero units, are characterized by stratigraphic sequences made up of turbiditic and mass gravity deposits of Late Cretaceous-Palaeocene age. The deformat ion history of the tectonic units outcropping in the northern Ligurian Apennine includes at least three phases of pre-Oligocene folding deve loped during the closure of the western Tethys and the related contine ntal collision.