Fluvial landform in relation to the geological setting in the “Murge Basse” karst of Apulia (Bari Metropolitan Area, Southern Italy)

An integrated geological and geomorphological study was performed in order to describe the main landform-features of the Bari Metropolitan Area ("Citta Metropolitana di Bari", Apulia, Southern Italy). The study is focused on the coastal sector of the "Murge Basse" area. This latter is characterized by a low-relief carbonate landscape gently dipping toward the Adriatic Sea, and represents the eastern and lowermost part of "Murge", a karstic region belonging to the South Apennines foreland. Results coming from field survey, aerial-photo interpretation, and digital terrain model analysis were summarized in a 1: 50,000 scale map which can contribute to land management and to assessment of flood hazards in a metropolitan area. In fact, although the "Murge" area shows some features typical of karst landscapes, it exhibits a well developed drainage-network, formed by a dense dendritic pattern in the headwater zone ("Murge Alte") which evolves into regularly spaced, incised valleys cutting through a staircase of marine terraces moving towards the coastal area ("Murge Basse"). Some of these valleys are joined to sub-horizontal areas ( corresponding to some marine terraces), and represent relict landforms related to ancient sea-level changes that occurred during middle and late Pleistocene times. These flat surfaces located downstream of incised valleys may represent sectors of high flooding hazard in the Bari Metropolitan Area.