Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental evolution of the central Adriatic coast in the Trigno mouth area (Molise Region)

Three cores (MBS1, MBS2 and MBS3), 15-12 m thick, were drilled offshore near the Trigno river mouth (Central Adriatic coast, Molise Region), 150-300 m from the present coastline. Palaeoecological analyses by means of benthic foraminifers, molluscs and ostracods, supported by stratigraphic and chronological data, have been performed to reconstruct the Late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental evolution of the northern sector of the Molise Adriatic coast.At the bottom of the cores MBS1 and MBS3 (fig. 1), fluviatile barren gravels (lithofacies G) are present. In the core MBS2 the succession starts with grey clays (lithofacies Cg) containing marine infralittoral foraminifers, hygrophilous terrestrial molluscs and freshwater ostracods. Sediments of lithofacies Cg were also recognized above lithofacies G in the core MBS3; here the fossil record consists of marine infralittoral foraminifers, freshwater and hygrophilous terrestrial molluscs, freshwater and marine infralittoral ostracods. Two AMS C dates constrain the deposition of lithofacies Cg (MBS3) between 19945 ± 345 and 19165 ± 195 yr BP (fig. 1). In the cores MBS2 and MBS3, lithofacies Cg is overlaid by light brown silty clays (lithofacies Csb) containing marine infralittoral foraminifers and molluscs, and marine and freshwater ostracods. In the core MBS1, both lithofacies Cg and Csb lack, and lithofacies G is overlaid by grey silty clays (lithofacies Csg) containing hygrophilous terrestrial molluscs and mainly freshwater ostracods. The three cores are closed up by brown, fine to medium sands (lithofacies S) recording the dominance of marine infralittoral fauna. One AMS C date carried out on benthic foraminifers (Ammonia sp.) collected from the lower portion of lithofacies S (core MBS3) gave an age of 8120.5 ± 108.5 yr BP.