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La Riserva Naturale Regionale della Sentina, che si estende per una lunghezza di circa 1.7 km nella porzione meridionale del litorale di San Benedetto del Tronto (AP) al confine con l'Abruzzo, ospita uno dei pochi ambienti dunali ancora conservati nelle Marche. La spiaggia ghiaioso-sabbiosa risulta priva di opere di difesa costiera, ma è delimitata a nord da una lunga serie di scogliere distaccate emerse e a sud da un pennello aggettante in mare oltre 300 m, opere che contribuiscono sensibilmente al suo arretramento. Nell'area è stato condotto un lungo monitoraggio (dal 2000) al fine di interpretare e quantificare le modificazioni della spiaggia emersa e sommersa. Nell'intero periodo la spiaggia della Sentina è costantemente arretrata: tra il 2000 ed il 2006 è stato calcolato un arretramento medio di 27.7 m, con picchi di 33.5 m, mentre nei successivi 6 anni, pur essendo stato realizzato nel 2008 un intervento di ripascimento, la linea di riva è continuata ad arretrare con una media di 22.2 m. Pertanto, in dodici anni si è avuta un'erosione di circa 50 m, a cui è corrisposta la scomparsa di circa 42000 m2 di ambiente dunale. È ipotizzabile, quindi, che, in assenza di interventi sostanziali, in relazione allo scarso se non nullo apporto solido da parte del F. Tronto, il prossimo futuro della Riserva della Sentina sia caratterizzato da erosione marina, con progressivo arretramento della spiaggia e perdita della duna costiera.

The sequence stratigraphic framework and a summary of the fossil fauna of the upper Miocene portion of the Pisco Formation exposed along the western side of the Ica River (southern Peru) is presented through a new geological map encompassing an area of about 200 km2 and detailed chronostratigraphic analyses. Extensive field mapping and sedimentological study of outcrop sections have shown that the Pisco Formation is a cyclical sediment unit composed of at least three fining-upward, unconformity-bounded depositional sequences, designated P0, P1, and P2 from oldest to youngest. In the study area, these sequences progressively onlap a composite basal unconformity from southwest to northeast. Integration of biostratigraphic and tephrochronologic age determinations constrains the ages of the three Pisco sequences within the study area. Based on the age of surrounding sediments, a conservative estimate of the age of P0 suggests deposition of these strata between 17.99 ± 0.10 Ma and 9.00 ± 0.02 Ma, whereas diatom biostratigraphy and calculated 40Ar/39Ar ages converge to indicate that strata of the P1 sequence were deposited sometime between 9.5 Ma and 8.9 Ma and that those of the P2 sequence are younger than 8.5 Ma and older than 6.71 ± 0.02 Ma. Our survey for both vertebrate and macro-invertebrate remains in the three sequences confirms the outstanding paleontological value of the Pisco Formation and contributes to depict regional faunal shifts in the fossil assemblage.

International audience; One-hundred and ninety-two fossil marine vertebrate specimens, preserved as bone elements cropping out at Cerro Los Quesos (Pisco Basin, Peru), are identified and reported on a 1:4,000 scale geological map and in the corresponding stratigraphic section. All the fossils originate from the Pisco Formation, which is dated in this area to the late Miocene (from 7.55 Ma to ≥6.71 Ma, based on 40 Ar/ 39 Ar analyses of three volcanic ash layers along the section). Specimens are particularly concentrated near the top of the two main hills, where the geologically youngest portion of the examined section crops out. The impressive fossil assemblage includes cetaceans (91.6%), represented by mysticetes (balaenopteroids and cetotheriids) and odontocetes (phocoenids, physeteroids, and ziphiids, including the holotype of Nazcacetus urbinai). Seals, a crocodile, a seabird, bony fish, and sharks are also reported. Isolated large teeth of Carcharocles and Cosmopolitodus are common and, in several instances, associated to mysticete skeletons. Together with a similar work recently published for the other late Miocene locality of Cerro Colorado, this work represents a case study for the detailed inventory of the extraordinary paleontological heritage of the Pisco Basin. As such, it constitutes the basis for future taphonomic, paleoecological, and systematic studies, as well as for a much-needed conservation effort. ARTICLE HISTORY

International audience; Hundreds of fossil marine vertebrates cropping out at Cerro Colorado (Pisco Basin, Peru) are identified and reported on a 1:6500 scale geological map and in a joined stratigraphic section. All the fossils are from the lower strata of the Pisco Formation, dated in this area to the late middle or early late Miocene. They are particularly concentrated (88%) in the stratigraphic interval from 40 to 75 m above the unconformity with the underlying Chilcatay Formation. The impressive fossil assemblage includes more than 300 specimens preserved as bone elements belonging mostly to cetaceans (81%), represented by mysticetes (cetotheriids and balaenopteroids) and odontocetes (kentriodontid-like delphinidans, pontoporiids, ziphiids, and physeteroids, including the giant raptorial sperm whale Livyatan melvillei). Seals, crocodiles, sea turtles, seabirds, bony fish, and sharks are also reported. Isolated large teeth of Carcharocles and Cosmopolitodus are common throughout the investigated stratigraphical interval, whereas other shark teeth, mostly of carcharinids, are concentrated in one sandy interval. This work represents a first detailed census of the extraordinary paleontological heritage of the Pisco Basin and the basis for future taphonomic, paleoecological, and systematic studies, as well as a much needed conservation effort for this extremely rich paleontological site.

Turbidite sandstones found in deep-water fold-and-thrust belts are increasingly exploited as hydrocarbon reservoirs. Within these rocks, the fluid flow is profoundly affected by the complex interaction between primary sedimentological and stratigraphic attributes (i.e, facies, layering, reservoir quality, stacking patterns, bed connectivity and lateral extent) and fracture characteristics (i.e., length, spacing, distribution, orientation, connectivity). Unfortunately, most of these features are at, or below, the resolution of conventional seismic datasets and, for this reason, their identification and localization represent one of the fundamental challenges facing exploration, appraisal and production of the sandstone reservoirs. In this respect, whereas considerable effort has been afforded to a characterization of the sedimentological and stratigraphic aspects of sandstones, detailed analysis of fractures in this type of successions has received significantly less attention. In this work, we combine field and laboratory analyses to assess the possible mechanical control exerted by the rock properties (grain size, intergranualr porosity, and Young modulus), as well as the influence of bed thickness, on joint density in turbidite sandstones. Joints are mode-I fractures occurring parallel to the greatest principle stress axis, which solve opening displacement and do not show evidence of shearing and enhance the values of total porosity forming preferential hydraulic conduits for fluid flow. Within layered rocks, commonly, joints form perpendicular to bedding due to overburden or exhumation. The empirical relation between joint spacing and bed thickness, documented in the field by many authors, has been mechanically related to the stress perturbation taking place around joints during their formation. Furthermore, close correlations between joint density and rock properties have been already established. In this present contribution, we focus on the bed-perpendicular joint spacing/bed thickness (S/T) relationships on sandstone bodies that experienced similar diagenetic and tectonic histories. The field area is located in the Periadriatic foreland basin, eastern central Italy, which show late Pliocene slope turbidites in excellent 3d views. The Periadriatic foreland basin is an elongated, roughly N-S oriented trough located immediately east of the Apennines fold-thrust belt. The basin fill mostly consists of deepwater Plio-Pleistocene sediments partially incorporated into the frontal part of the orogenic wedge. During the late Pliocene, gravel and sand originated from the uplifting Apennines were abundantly supplied to the deep-water basin through a series of erosional conduits that, in the rock record, appear as a series of N-S oriented slope submarine canyon systems deeply incised into the hemipelagic mudstones of the adjacent slope. The studied exposure allows direct observation of spatial and temporal relationships among the various depositional elements comprising the canyon system and related lithofacies, as well as the bed-perpendicular joint density within each lithofacies. We performed a multidisciplinary work involving the following tasks: (i) 3D stratigraphic model of the depositional architecture of the Castignano and Ascensione canyon systems (Marche region, Italy); (ii) 2D scanline survey of several outcrops displaying bed-perpendicular joints; (iii) digital image analysis of selected thin-section obtained from oriented hand samples to characterize the 3D intergranualr porosity; (iv) Stiffness analysis of representative sandstone bodies by mean of Schmidt hammer tests. The first results of this ongoing study on the mechanical stratigraphy of the two Late Pliocene canyon systems are consistent with the joint density being effected by both geometrical (i.e., bed thickness) and mechanical properties. This data set will help field and experimental geologists to better define common strategies to assess the controlling factors on joint distribution within layered media. Furthermore, this knowledge can be very important in order to make predictions on the modalities of subsurface fluid flow through deep-water sandstone rocks.