Analysis by UAV Digital Photogrammetry of Folds and Related Fractures in the Monte Antola Flysch Formation (Ponte Organasco, Italy)
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geosciences Article Analysis by UAV Digital Photogrammetry of Folds and Related Fractures in the Monte Antola Flysch Formation (Ponte Organasco, Italy) Niccolò Menegoni * ID , Claudia Meisina, Cesare Perotti and Matteo Crozi Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, via A. Ferrata 1, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; [email protected] (C.M.); [email protected] (C.P.); [email protected] (M.C.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +39-0382-985849 Received: 25 July 2018; Accepted: 7 August 2018; Published: 9 August 2018 Abstract: The deformation structures (folds and fractures) affecting Monte Antola flysch formation in the area of Ponte Organasco (Northern Apennines-Italy) were analyzed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Digital Photogrammetry (UAVDP). This technique allowed the realization of Digital Outcrop Models (DOMs) interpreted in a stereoscopic environment by collecting a large number of digital structural measures (strata, fractures and successively fold axes and axial planes). In particular, by UAVDP was possible to analyze the relationships between folds and fractures all along the study structures. The structural analysis revealed the presence of a series of NE-vergent folds characterized by a typical Apenninic trend and affected by four main sets of fractures. Fractures are always sub-orthogonal to the bedding, maintains constant angular relationships with the bedding and seems linked to the folding deformation. The study shows that the UAVDP technique can overcome the main limitations of field structural analysis such as the scarce presence and the inaccessibility (total or partial) of rock outcrops and allows for acquiring images of rock outcrops at a detailed scale from user-inaccessible positions and different points of view and analyze inaccessible parts of outcrops. Keywords: structural geology; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; digital photogrammetry; remote sensing 1. Introduction In the last twenty years, the applications of remote sensing investigations for the construction of Digital Outcrop Models (DOMs) have rapidly increased in geosciences e.g., [1–11]. The most common techniques that are used to generate high detailed DOMs are Laser Scanner (LS) and Digital Photogrammetry (DP). Whereas LS could be very expensive and complex as for survey planning (heavy and bulky equipment), DP allows for obtaining high resolution data with a lower cost and a more user-friendly survey planning [7,12]. Developments in RGB cameras and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies [13] are quickly increasing the applications for UAV-based Digital Photogrammetry (UAVDP) in geosciences e.g., [7,9,14–18]. The field structural analysis could be often hampered by total or partial inaccessibility of rock outcrops [5] and by their unfavorable orientations [11] that do not permit acquiring an appreciable amount of structural data. Moreover, compass and clinometer field measurements of discontinuities could be affected by some biases (e.g., orientation and truncation biases) due to sampling techniques (e.g., scanline, window, etc.) or to the local variation in the orientation of measured features (e.g., waved/undulated surfaces). Sturzenegger and Stead [5] and Sturzenegger et al. [19] show how Digital Photogrammetry (DP) could help obtain more accurate parameters of position, orientation, length and curvature of discontinuity features. Tavani et al. [11] show how DP could help overcome limitations of structure exposure, giving the possibility to export orthorectified images of DOMs that Geosciences 2018, 8, 299; doi:10.3390/geosciences8080299 www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences Geosciences 2018, 8, 299x FOR PEER REVIEW 22 o of f 16 16 limitations of structure exposure, giving the possibility to export orthorectified images of DOMs that well fit fit the orientationorientation ofof geologicalgeological structures.structures. Nevertheless, Terrestrial Digital Photogrammetry (TDP) often often suffers suffers limitations, limitations, such such as as occlusion occlusion and and vertical vertical orientation orientation biases biases of ofthe the highest highest part part of theof the outcrop outcrop [5], [5 due], due to tothe the lack lack of ofan an optimal optimal positioning positioning of of the the camera camera wit withh respect respect to to the the rock exposure. These These limitations limitations can be be overcome overcome by by UAVDP UAVDP possibility to acquire images of an outcrop fromfrom user user-inaccessible-inaccessible positionspositions [[9].9]. Our stud studyy aims to demonstrate how the application of UAVDP UAVDP can dramatically improveimprove the structural analysis of folded folded and and fractured fractured rocks rocks by by acquiring a great amount of digital data from inaccessibleinaccessible (partially or totally) outcrops outcrops and increasing increasing the the sampling sampling of of t thehe deformation deformation structures. structures. InIn particular, thisthis studystudy demonstratesdemonstrates as UAVDP technique allows for analyzing the relationships between folds and fractures in a flyschflysch formation.formation. InIn thethe North-WesternNorth-Western Italian Italian Appennines, Appennines, the the Ponte Ponte Organasco Organasco area area offers offers the possibility the possibility to study to studythe meso-scale the meso deformations-scale deformations that affect that Monteaffect Monte Antola Antola formation formation (Figure (Figure1). In this 1).area In this the area erosion the erosionof the Trebbia of the Trebbia river creates river several creates spectacular several spectacular cliffs, almost cliffs, completely almost completely inaccessible inaccessible by field surveys,by field surveys,and characterized and characterize by severald by folds several and folds brittle and structures. brittle structures. Figure 1. 1. TectonicTectonic sketch sketch of North of North-Western-Western Apennines: Apennines: 1: Quaternary 1: Quaternary Deposits; Deposits; 2: Te rtiary 2: Pie Tertiary dmont BasinPiedmont de posits; Basin 3: deposits;Epiligurian 3: Succession; Epiligurian 4 Succession;: Inte rnal Ligurian 4: Internal Units; Ligurian 5: Voltri Units; Group; 5: 6:Voltri Antola Group; Unit; 7:6: Extern Antolaal Unit; Ligurian 7: External Units; 8: LigurianSubligurian Units; Units; 8: Subligurian9: Tuscan Units Units; (Tuscan 9: Tuscan Nappe); Units 10: (TuscanSestri-Voltaggio Nappe); Zone.10: Sestri-Voltaggio Zone. 2. Geological Geological Setting The study study area is located in NW Apennines, near Ponte Organasco village at the confluenceconfluence between AvagnoneAvagnone and and Trebbia Trebbia rivers, rivers, nearly nearly 100 100 km km north north of Genoa of Genoa (Figure (Figure2). In this2). In area, this the area, Antola the AntolaUnit (AU) Unit crops (AU) crops out extensively out extensively and isand affected is affected by aby great a great number number of of folds, folds, faults faultsand and fractures developed in absence of metamorphism. Geosciences 2018, 8, 299 3 of 16 Geosciences 2018, 8, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 o f 16 Figure 2. Ge ological map of the study are a. Figure 2. Geological map of the study area. From bottom to the top, the AU unit [20–22] is composed by: From• varicolored bottom to hemipelagic the top, the AUshales unit (the [20 –Late22] isCenomanian composed- by:Early Turonian Montoggio Shale- • varicolored“Argilliti hemipelagic di Montoggio”) shales followed (the Late by thin Cenomanian-Early-bedded, siliciclastic Turonian and carbonatic Montoggio turbidites Shale-“Argilliti (Early Campanian Gorreto Sandstone—“Arenarie di Gorreto”); di Montoggio”) followed by thin-bedded, siliciclastic and carbonatic turbidites (Early Campanian • carbonate turbidite (Early Campanian-Early Maastrichtian Monte Antola Formation- Gorreto Sandstone—“Arenarie di Gorreto”); “Formazione di Monte Antola” or “Calcare del Monte Antola”); • carbonate• siliciclastic turbidite-carbonatic (Early Campanian-Earlyturbidite (Early Maastrichtian Maastrichtian-lower Monte Late Antola Maastricht Formation-“Formazioneian Bruggi- di MonteSelvapiana Antola” Formation or “Calcare—“Formazione del Monte di Antola”); Bruggi-Selvapiana” and the Late Maastrichtian-Late • siliciclastic-carbonaticPaleocene Pagliaro turbiditeShale—“Argilliti (Early di Maastrichtian-lower Pagliaro”). Late Maastrichtian Bruggi-Selvapiana Formation—“FormazioneAU is topped by the Tertiary di Bruggi-Selvapiana” Piedmont Basin (TPB) and, a wedge the Late-top- Maastrichtian-Latebasin located on top of Paleocene the Pagliarojunction between Shale—“Argilliti the Western di Pagliaro”). Alps and the Northern Apennines, that is characterized by a continuous deposition from the Mid Eocene (Monte Piano Marls) to the Late Miocene [23]. AU is topped by the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB), a wedge-top-basin located on top of the The examined outcrops are all in the Monte Antola Formation. Locally, it is composed of junctiondominantly between turbiditic the Western calcareous Alps and graded the Northernbeds, calcareous Apennines, sandstones, that is sandstones characterized and bymarlstones, a continuous depositionwith rare from intervening the Mid Eocene thin, carbonate (Monte Piano-free graded Marls) layers to the Lateor uniformly Miocene fine [23-].grained shale. The Theformation examined is interpreted outcrops as a are deep all-sea in basin the Monte plain deposit, Antola with Formation. local latera Locally,l facies variations it is composed which of dominantlyrange from turbiditic proximal, calcareous