Ornamental stone in Apricena Basin: giacimentology for planning

Abstract

Puglia occupies a significant position in national and international fields for the production and trade of ornamental stone for both quantity and quality. The ornamental Apulian stones, thanks to the recognition of their good technical and aesthetic characteristics, have undergone considerable commercial development determined not only by the relative ease of extraction that makes them economically competitive. The trend toward a planning policy that takes into account less land use could mean a reduction in extractive activities for the future. In fact, a greater understanding of the soil potential of the mining basins could allow optimization of cultivation and more effective planning of recoveries. The Apricena extractive basin, located in the westernmost area of the Gargano Promontory in the province of Foggia, falls into the communes of Poggio Imperiale, Apricena and Lesina (Fig. 1). The area covered by the Apricena basin has a very large extension (about 14 km2): this is the largest basin area recognized for the Apulia Region. The marble deposits occur almost everyone in the formation of the lower Cretaceous. They are located to the north- western slopes of the Gargano Peninsula, on a large terrace at an altitude of 110-130 m a.s.l. shaped abrasion post - Mesozoic marine and affected by tectonic stresses of varying intensity. The knowledge of the geological characteristics of the entire area of the mining basin of Apricena allowed to envisage the availability of the field of ornamental stones. For territorial planning through the collection and assessment of all information about the technical quality and the continuity of the limestone facies it has been possible suggest elements for estimate and availability of the main varieties of ornamental stones. This work contributes to the optimization of the methods of planning and design of the extraction of Apricena basin activities.