Burial-Deformation History of Folded Rocks Unraveled by Fracture Analysis, Stylolite Paleopiezometry and Vein Cement Geochemistry: A Case Study in the Cingoli Anticline (Umbria-Marche, Northern Apennines)

Unravelling the burial-deformation history of sedimentary rocks is prerequisite information to understand regional tectonic, sedimentary, thermal, and fluid-flow evolution foreland basins. We use a combination microstructural analysis, stylolites paleopiezometry, paleofluid geochemistry reconstruct Meso-Cenozoic carbonate sequence Cingoli Anticline (Northern Apennines, central Italy). Four major sets mesostructures were linked deformation sequence: (i) pre-folding flexure/forebulge; (ii) fold-scale layer-parallel shortening under N045 ?1; (iii) syn-folding curvature which variable trend between north south anticline consistent with arcuate shape anticline; (iv) late stage fold tightening. The maximum depth experienced by strata prior contraction, up 1850 m, was quantified stylolite paleopiezometry projected on reconstructed burial curve assess timing contraction. As isotope points towards fluid precipitation at thermal equilibrium, clumped thermometry (?47) considered for each fracture set yields absolute development exhumation Anticline: occurred from ~6.3 5.8 Ma, followed growth that lasted ~5.8 3.9 Ma.