Reconstructing Mio-Pliocene Foredeep Evolution in the Central Apennines: New Perspectives from Integrated Low-Temperature Thermochronology

The Mio-Pliocene Foreland Basin System (FBS) evolution of the Central Apennines in the Abruzzo Region (Central Italy) is characterized by the development of the Laga (Messinian) and Cellino (Early Pliocene) foredeep basins, and the subsequent overthrusting of their stratigraphic successions following a W-E vergence. However, the time-space transition between these basins, the amount of contractional shortening and thickening, as well as the occurrence of additional tectono sedimentary loading, have been poorly investigated. Field observations, integrated by seismic lines interpretation, allowed us to: i) discriminate the turbidites deposited within the Laga basin from those belonging to the Cellino one, ii) identify the major thrust sheet in terms of associated displacement, and iii) reconstruct, with good confidence, the deep geometries of the outcropping faults. Our data and interpretations have been combined and visualized in a 3D tectono-stratigraphic model, useful for understanding the mutual relationship between surface and subsurface geology. Nevertheless, the timing and extent of tectonically driven exhumation that affected both basins still need to be clarified. To address this ambiguity, we propose a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the reconstructions obtained so far with low-temperature thermochronology techniques. The data are expected to provide independent constraints on maximum burial temperatures, timing of thermal peaks, and exhumation histories that directly reflect basin architecture and loading mechanisms. By sampling a transect across the Laga–Cellino thrust system, we aim to test whether the two basins followed distinct thermal histories and whether additional loads are needed to explain the observed paleotemperatures. Beyond the outcome of this future perspective, the goal is also to elucidate a methodology that is still poorly investigated, especially in the Apennine region. This integrated framework, combining geological mapping, kinematic analysis, seismic imaging, and low-temperature thermochronology, aims to significantly refine the models of foredeep evolution in the Central Apennines. It could also represent a methodological example of how long-standing ambiguities affecting complex foreland basin systems around the world can be tackled.