A major geodynamic change revealed by Quaternary stress patterns in the Southern Apennines (Italy)

Abstract In southern Italy, analysis of fault slip data sets, in particular from Quaternary formations, provides evidence for a recent change of the stress field. During the Early Pleistocene, the horizontal maximum stress axes were ENE-WSW trending. The deformation was ENE-WSW compression near the front of the chain, and NNW-SSE extension close to the back-arc basin. Some time after the Early Pleistocene, the direction of the largest horizontal stress axes changed to northwest-southeast. Only extensional deformation ( σ 2 , NW-SE trending; σ 3 , NE-SW trending) is observed for this phase and focal mechanisms indicate that it is still active. This NE-SW extension invaded areas previously affected by compression or NNW-SSE extension and coincides with major uplift of Pleistocene marine sediments in the chain and the foredeep up to 700 m above sea level. This change in the stress regime corresponds to the end of accretion processes that had prevailed since the Middle-Late Miocene. As a consequence of this discovery of a recent regional stress and deformational style change, the present-day normal and strike-slip faulting earthquake focal mechanisms in the Southern Apennines should not be considered representative of Tyrrhenian Sea opening and Apennines accretion.