Abstract
In the Piedmont plain of NW Italy the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre (IMA) is a remarkable evidence of the Quaternary glaciations. It consists of a wide (505 km2) complex of lateral moraines (i.e. the Serra d’Ivrea), end moraines and kame terraces, encircling a 200 km2 wide flat internal depression above which a subglacially moulded rocky hills (the Colli d’Ivrea) elevates. The glacigenic succession ranges from the end of the Early Pleistocene (dated on palaeomagnetic basis) to the end of the Late Pleistocene (14C radiometric and 10Be exposure ages) (about 900–20 ky BP). The IMA has recently been parted into ten stratigraphical units, potentially correlable to the whole sequence of the main Quaternary glaciations recorded by the marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy. Natural (glacigenic deposits and forms) and archaeological (i.e. the Roman gold mines) features make the IMA a very interesting topic for a multidisciplinary research with educational, cultural and tourist purposes. Some recent and present activities for the land promoting are presented. A candidature to the UNESCO global geopark network is considered as a suitable and ambitious goal.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arobba D, Calderoni G, Caramiello R, Carraro F, Giardino M, Quagliolo P (1997) Palynological and radiometric evidence of a last glacial-interstadial from peat sediments in the Ivrea morainic amphitheatre (NW-Italy). Geologia Insubrica 2(2):143–148
Baio M, Gianotti F (1996) Studio geologico e giacimentologico dell’area della “Bessa” (Biella, Italia). Geologia Insubrica 1(1–2):29–48
Carraro F, Medioli F, Petrucci F (1975) Geomorphological study of the Morainic Amphitheatre of Ivrea, Northwest Italy. Bull R Soc New Zealand 13:89–93
Carraro F, Lanza R, Perotto A, Zanella E (1991) L’evoluzione morfologica del Biellese occidentale durante il Pleistocene inferiore e medio, in relazione all’inizio della costruzione dell’Anfiteatro Morenico d’Ivrea. Boll Museo Reg Sc Nat Torino 9(1):99–117
Gianotti F (1996) Bessa, paesaggio ed evoluzione geologica delle grandi aurifodine biellesi. Eventi e Progetti, Biella, p 83
Gianotti F (2011) Geological setting of the Pleistocene placers and roman gold mines of the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre (Piedmont, NW Italy). Abstracts Convegno AIQUA “Il Quaternario italiano. Conoscenze e prospettive”, Roma, 24–25 febbraio 2011. Il Quaternario, Ital J Quater Sci 24(2), 183–185
Gianotti F, Forno MG, Ivy-Ochs S, Kubik PW (2008) New chronological and stratigraphical data on the Ivrea Amphitheatre (Piedmont, NW Italy). Quater Int 190:123–135
Gianotti F, Marra D (2012) L’impronta del Ghiacciaio. Anfiteatro Morenico di Ivrea: un unicum geologico. Ecomuseo AMI, Bolognino, Ivrea, p 63
Martins C, Gastaldi B (1850) Essai sur les terrains superficiels de la vallée du Pô, aux environs de Turin, comparés a ceux de la plaine suisse. Bull Soc Gèol France 7:554–605
Motta L, Motta M (2013) The protection Law and the Register of erratic Blocks in Piedmont (Italy), as Example of Protection of a widespread Geosite in a densely populated Region. In: Mokriš M, Lieskovský A (eds) Advanced research in scientific areas, Section 10 Natural Sciences. EDIS, Zilina, Slovak Republic, pp 1534–1539
Penck A, Bruckner E, du Pasquier L (1894) Le Système glaciaire des Alpes. Guide Congr Géol Int Zurich Bull Soc Neuch Sc Nat 22:86
Sacco F (1927) Il glacialismo nella Valle d’Aosta. Min LL PP Uff Idrog Po,p 66
Studer B (1844) Lehrbuch der physikalischen Geographie und Geologie, vol 1. Dalp, Bern, Chur und Leipzig
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gianotti, F. et al. (2015). The Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre as a Well Preserved Record of the Quaternary Climate Variability (PROGEO-Piemonte Project, NW Italy). In: Lollino, G., Giordan, D., Marunteanu, C., Christaras, B., Yoshinori, I., Margottini, C. (eds) Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 8. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09408-3_39
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09408-3_39
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09407-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09408-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)