Integrated multi-scale 3D Modelling of the northern Abruzzo Foreland Basin System (Central Apennines, Italy)

The actual configuration of the Central Apennine Foreland Basin System (FBS) from the Early Miocene to present has been significantly affected by the eastward migration of the compressional front. In particular, the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the FBS in the Abruzzo Region (Central Italy) is characterized by the onset and development of two adjacent foredeep basins – the Laga and Cellino basins – and by their subsequent overthrusting, with the Laga Succession overriding the Cellino one. Structural geology is a fundamental tool for deciphering crustal deformations on any scale. In this regard, starting with the integration of field and geophysical data, our primary objective was the realization of a robust and geometrically consistent 3D subsurface geological model, aimed at understanding the mutual relation between surface and subsurface features. Field surveys represented a constraint to the interpretation of geophysical investigations and to the precise location of the main faults. They have also provided detailed surface geological mapping, fault kinematics, and fold geometries. Geophysical data were used to obtain the trend geometries of structures at depth, the amount of their displacement, and the structural style on the regional scale. This model was validated by available 2D seismic lines from the ViDEPI Project, tied with stratigraphic markers of multiple wells. By reconstructing, through this multidisciplinary approach, the major structural features such as folds and associated thrusts, we defined the spatial distribution and evolution of deformation processes within the upper crust. The integrated dataset and the resulting 3D model provide a powerful framework for a comprehensive structural characterization of the Abruzzi FBS, crucial to understand its over-time evolution but also to gain insights about the geohazard assessment of the area. In fact, our study can contribute to understanding the structural factors that control fluid migration pathways, thereby providing a basis for future assessments of georesources and possible geothermal exploitation, especially in areas already subject to hydrocarbon investigation, such as the studied one.