Abstract: | Multispectral satellite imagery, in conjunction with aerial photography and field work, offers new possibilities for the recognition and interpretation of overregional geological and tectonic systems. All three methods in geologic work were applied to Northern and Central Italy. In the Northern and Central Apennines two stress directions were recognized. The various stages in the evolution of the mountains and of the whole peninsula were evaluated and interpreted under new aspects. The tectonic features are explained by a clockwise rotation of various blocks along left-handed transform faults. These faults can be interpreted as resulting from shear due to a main stress directed north-eastwards. The lineations of the Southern Alps are traced through the Po Valley into the Northern Apennines.ZusammenfassungMultispectral satellite imagery, in conjunction with aerial photography and field work, offers new possibilities for the recognition and interpretation of overregional geological and tectonic systems. All three methods in geologic work were applied to Northern and Central Italy. In the Northern and Central Apennines two stress directions were recognized. The various stages in the evolution of the mountains and of the whole peninsula were evaluated and interpreted under new aspects. The tectonic features are explained by a clockwise rotation of various blocks along left-handed transform faults. These faults can be interpreted as resulting from shear due to a main stress directed north-eastwards. The lineations of the Southern Alps are traced through the Po Valley into the Northern Apennines. |