Some evidence of Quaternary cold periods in Southern Italy: data and reflections

Abstract

In Southern Italy (Campania, Basilicata, Apulia and Calabria the Quaternary cold periods left remarkable traces, mainly represented by debris f deposits of congelifraction origin which somewhere look like periglacial deposits. These traces probably show, first of all, that in this part of Italy, notwithstanding its not too high latitude, the Quaternary cold periods were characterized by rather cold climatic phases, which favor congelifraction activity. This moreover seems to have been stronger, during the same periods, on the western sides of the above mentioned regions, particularly, on the mountain slopes facing the Tyrrhenian Sea from Campania down to Northern Calabria.