Present-day geodynamics of the circum-Adriatic region: An overview

This volume builds on presentations made at two thematic sessions on “The Active Tectonics of the Circum-Adriatic Region” at the EGU 2007 and 2008 General Assemblies in Vienna. In both sessions, contributions were invited from workers incorporating structural, geophysical, seismological, remote sensing, geodetic and thermochronological methods to better understand the crustal evolution and ongoing development of one of Europe's most interesting tectonic regions. The Adriatic region occupies a central position within the geodynamic framework of the Central Mediterranean. It is surrounded by actively deforming belts of diverse character including transpressional, contractional, strike-slip and extensional domains, collectively defining the structurally complex and kinematically varied boundaries of the Adria plate. Because many countries occupy the circum-Adriatic region, international collaborative research into the tectonic activity and associated natural hazards of the region is relevant and important to European society. In this context, the papers presented in this volume provide important new data that bear on various aspects of the active tectonics of the circum-Adriatic region. These contributions typically draw on multidisciplinary structural, geophysical and geochronological datasets to draw new conclusions concerning the spatial and temporal evolution of Adria's bounding deformation zones, especially the southeastern and southern Italian regions and NE Adriatic region. In this overview, we provide a state-of-the-art summary of different aspects of present-day Adria geodynamics to provide a common background for the individual contributions that follow.