Geoheritage of the Sila National Park and surrounding areas (Northern Calabria, Italy)

Abstract

This paper introduces a geological map of the Sila mountain block (Northern Calabria, Italy), realized as a tool to promote knowledge of this geological landscape uniqueness and to develop effective geoheritage management and enhancement strategies, also from a geotouristic and geoeducational perspective. The Sila block is defined as a plateau whose morphology is deeply connected to its lithological characteristics and tectonic evolution that combined with exogenous processes over time has conditioned the landscape. The 1:60,000 scale map provides an overall scheme of the main geological units and tectonic elements constituting the study area, as a synthesis of thematic cartography existing in the literature coupled to targeted investigations and field surveys. It also displays the main geosites and geosite systems, identified with the purpose of communicating geoheritage processes/products, which favour an understanding of the surrounding environment, and for tourist purposes.

Keywords

• Sila Plateau
• geological map
• geoheritage
• geosite systems