Facies analysis, depositional architecture and paleogeography of the fluvio-lacustrine Upper Valdarno Basin (Plio-Pleistocene, NorthernApennines, Italy)

The Upper Valdarno Basin stands out from the Neogene-Quaternary basins of the Northern Apennines because of its exceptional fossil mammal record and good quality of natural and artificial outcrops. The Valdarno Basin attracted a large number of scientists since the past centuries. The well-preserved fossil mammals were studied by George Cuvier, and the suggestive exposures of alluvial deposits located along the NE margin of the basin gave to Nicholas Steno a base in formulating the principles of the modern stratigraphy. During the first half of the past century, the basin was largely explored in order to plan the exploitation of subsurface resources, which significantly contributed to the socio-economical development of the area. The basin has been the focus of a huge number of palaeontological, sedimentological and stratigraphic studies, culminated in 2004 with the CARG Regione project, which allowed a lithostratigraphic review of the basin stratigraphy and provided solid bases for further detailed geological investigations.