Karst morphology and cave sediments as indicators of the uplift history in the Alpi Apuane (Tuscany, Italy)

Abstract

In the Alpi Apuane (Tuscany, Italy). Late Pliocene to Pleistocene karst landforms are preserved as relict phreatic caves, which were formed in a geomorphic setting very different from that of the present day. The largest karst drainage basin in the region, the Frigido, hosts cave systems with a vertical development totalling 1600 m. Abandoned phreatic cave passages preserved within this and neighbouring basins indicate that former base-levels were situated at up to ∼ 1000 m above the modern valley floors. The passages constitute morphostratigraphic markers that can be used to reconstruct the uplift history of the Apuane. Their vertical distribution suggests two major phases of base-level sta..