Tectonics and seismicity of the Apulian Ridge South of Salento peninsula (Southern Italy)

Multichannel reflection seismic data were acquired south of the Salento peninsula, in an area where crustal seismicity has been recorded. Seismic profiles show the presence of small grabens bounded by extensional faults with NW-SE direction. These grabens are filled with Plio-Quaternary sediments and represent the prolongation of the grabens located onshore in the Salento peninsula. Outer arc extension due to flexuring of the Adriatic-Apulian lithosphere under the double load of the Hellenides and Apennines-Calabrian arc is thought to have originated these grabens. The Adriatic-Apulian continental lithosphere presents a very small radius of curvature and a decoupling between upper crust and mantle lithosphere is expected. Inner arc compression within the upper crust may be responsible for the seismicity recorded in the area.