Geodetic control on recent tectonic movements in the central Mediterranean area

Abstract During the Neogene and Quaternary, the western Mediterranean geodynamics was apparently dominated by the nearly eastward migration of the Apenninic arc and the associated opening (spreading) of the back-arc basin (Tyrrhenian Sea). However, during the last 5 My, the collision of the arc with the Apulian platform led to a dramatic change in the tectonic setting of the area. As geological processes require a long period of time to register the displacements of the different blocks, it is indispensable to take into account the present-day motion given by space geodesy data analysis in order to better constrain the geological models. Geodetic motions were derived from Global Positioning System (GPS), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations collected from different networks. All the geodetic solutions have been computed and combined at the Centre of Space Geodesy (CGS), at Matera, Italy. The geodetic results show a NNE motion of the Adriatic plate with a small component of counter-clockwise rotation, in good agreement with the geological and geophysical observations. In the southern Tyrrhenian area, the lengthening of the MateraCagliari baseline should imply that convergence cannot be considered as the driving mechanism for the Apenninic subduction process. The estimated motion of Noto is in quite good agreement with the estimated motion of the African plate.