Field Trip Report Vajont Valley & Latemar (Italy)
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04-06/07/2019 Field trip report Vajont valley & Latemar (Italy) Participants: Baville Paul Bonneau François Caumon Guillaume Clausolles Nicolas Frantz Yves Gouache Corentin Raguenel Margaux Schuh-Senlis Melchior IAMG Student Chapter Nancy RING TEAM - GEORESSOURCES Summary Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Chronostratigraphy of the field trip ........................................................................................................ 2 1. Vajont Formations (1 Figure 2, 65 – 160 Ma) .............................................................................. 2 2. Calcare del Vajont Formation (2 Figure 2, 160 – 170 Ma)........................................................... 3 3. Ignee Formation (3 Figure 2, 170 – 183 Ma) ............................................................................... 4 4. Soverzene Formation (4 Figure 2, 183 – 200 Ma) ....................................................................... 4 5. Dolomia Principale Formation (5 Figure 2, 200 – 230 Ma) ......................................................... 4 6. Rodella Formation (6 Figure 2, 230 – 247 Ma) ............................................................................ 5 7. Latemar Formation (7 Figure 2, 247 – 250 Ma) .......................................................................... 6 8. Bellerophon Formation (8 Figure 2, 250 – 258 Ma) .................................................................... 8 9. Gardena sandstone Formation (9 Figure 2, 258 – 265 Ma) ........................................................ 8 10. Variscan plutonic rocks (10 Figure 2, > 265 Ma) ..................................................................... 8 Contextualisation of the Vajont dam disaster ......................................................................................... 9 1. Dam network in the Piave valley ................................................................................................. 9 2. The Vajont dam disaster ............................................................................................................ 10 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Annex: Expanses .................................................................................................................................... 12 Figures Figure 1: Localization of the field trip. ..................................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Chronostratigraphic scale of the formations we saw during the field trip. ............................. 2 Figure 3: Top: 3D model of the 1963 Vajont landslide (Bistacchi et al., 2013). Middle and bottom: Picture of the Vajont lanslide and its interpretation. .............................................................................. 3 Figure 4: Left: Picture of the Calcare del Vajont Formation partially dolomitized. Middle: Interpretation of faults and one of the dolomitzed bodies (in green). Right: 3D modelisation (GOCAD) of faults and dolomitized bodies in the Vajont valley (Bistacchi et al., 2015). ............................................................. 4 Figure 5: Picture of the Stella platform from the Rodella pass. The limit between the Rodella Formation and the Dolomia Principale Formation is known as the Carbonate Platform Erosion (CPE). Notice the two Géolien specimens at the forefront! ................................................................................................ 5 Figure 6: Transition between volcanic and limestone deposits within the Rodella Formation (Rodella pass)......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 7: Top: Panorama from the Latemar. All the area is a network of preserved platforms. Bottom: Interpretation of the panorama. Blue parts are the flat preserved platforms. Violet parts are platform talus. Yellow part is basin. ....................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 8: Localized dolomitization of Latemar limestones. ..................................................................... 7 Figure 9: Limit between the undeformed Latemar Formation (mainly limestone) and the strongly deformed Bellerophon Formation (mainly gypsum). Valles pass. .......................................................... 8 Figure 10: Scheme of the dam network summing up the location and the capacity of each Piave valley dam. ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 11: Measurments of the Vajont dam. ........................................................................................ 10 Figure 12: Group picture at with our Italian colleagues at Rodella pass. ............................................. 11 Introduction This field trip in Vajont valley and Latemar (Italy, Figure 1) took place between the 4th and the 6th of July, 2019. Eight members of the RING Team (1 professor, 1 research engineer and 6 PhD student members of the IAMG student chapter) discovered the geology of this area. The main objectives of this trip were to observe geological outcrops (the team’s main focus is on their numerical representation), to create an emulation environment with our Italian colleagues for scientific discussions, and to discover our co-workers in a different context. We especially focused on the complex dolomitization of limestones in the Vajont valley and on the calcareous platforms uplifted and undeformed of Latemar. Figure 1: Localization of the field trip. Several geologists from the Universities of Milan and Padova (Figure 1) were involved in the organization of this field trip and were our guides during the visits: - Andrea Bistacchi, Milan, - Silvia Mittempergher, Milan, - Luigi Berio, Parma, - Mattia Martinelli, Milan, - Marco Franceschi, Padova. We would like to thank them for their involvement and availability. During this 3 full days field trip we saw various rocks with a large range of ages: from the Permian base to the Cretaceous top (Figure 2). This covers a time period about 250 Ma. We propose to present this field trip report formation by formation, starting with the youngest one we saw. Furthermore, a special part dedicated to the Vajont dam disaster is presented at the end of this report. 1 Figure 2: Chronostratigraphic scale of the formations we saw during the field trip. Chronostratigraphy of the field trip 1. Vajont Formations (1 Figure 2, 65 – 160 Ma) The youngest units we observed in the region are the one which were affected by the Vajont landslide (Figure 3). The top of the sequence is the Calcare di Soccher Formation (1a Figure 2, 150 m), mainly made of massive limestones, grading to marly limestones. This formation is deposited over the thin Rosso Ammonitico Formation (1b Figure 2, 5-15 m), a fossiliferous nodular limestone unit. Under this last formation the Fonzaso Formation (1c Figure 2, 10-70 m) is observed. This is a thinly stratified cherty limestone unit containing centimetric smectite beds of volcanic origin that served as sliding surface for the Vajont landslide. For more information on the Vajont lanslide, please see the last part of the report. 2 Figure 3: Top: 3D model of the 1963 Vajont landslide (Bistacchi et al., 2013). Middle and bottom: Picture of the Vajont lanslide and its interpretation. 2. Calcare del Vajont Formation (2 Figure 2, 160 – 170 Ma) This formation is composed of 370-450 m thick reworked carbonate slope deposits made of whitish oolitic limestones. They have been locally dolomitized later (Figure 4), due to fluid circulations (70°C) through the pre-Alpine extensional fault network. The dolomitization makes origin limestones change colour from grey to brown. Moreover, it makes origin limestones loss its stratification, originally well visible. This dolomitization of carbonate rocks is observable all along the region (see another example within the Latemar Figure 8), giving its name: the Dolomites. 3 Figure 4: Left: Picture of the Calcare del Vajont Formation partially dolomitized. Middle: Interpretation of faults and one of the dolomitzed bodies (in green). Right: 3D modelisation (GOCAD) of faults and dolomitized bodies in the Vajont valley (Bistacchi et al., 2015). 3. Ignee Formation (3 Figure 2, 170 – 183 Ma) This formation is an impermeable layer with various thickness in space (0-150 m). Localized under the large Calcare del Vajont Formation, the Ignee Formation is only visible locally in the Vajont valley. The impermeable behaviour doesn’t allow fluid circulations from bottom formations to the Calcare del Vajont Formation. However, the fact that the region has been fractured due to the pre-Alpine extension allows fluid circulations and, inter alia, dolomitization of the Calcare del Vajont Formation. 4. Soverzene Formation (4 Figure 2, 183 – 200 Ma) The Soverzene Formation is a 600 m thick layer mixed of diagenetic dolomites and hydrothermal ones. These last have also been dolomitized due to hydrothermal fluid circulations (70°C).