The coast between Livorno and Piombino (Southern Tuscany) displays geological
evidences of quaternary tectono-eustatic interaction.
Through an accurate review of previous works and a detailed geological survey, 116 sites
where outcrop Late Pleistocene deposits have been located. Facies analysis allowed the
identification of 11 different lithostratigraphic units, constituting a larger number than the 3 or
4 units recognized in previous studies (Cortemiglia et al., 1983; Hearty & Dai Pra, 1987;
Costantini et al., 1993 and Mauz, 1999).They are constituted by mainly sandstone levels
formed in upper shoreface to foreshore/backshore and coastal dune environments,
separated by silty and sandy pedogenized continental deposits. In particular, aeolian
deposits have been documented in this area, on the basis of sedimentological features (e.g.
presence of contorted bedding, pin stripe laminae, convex-upward stratification) and
fossiliferous evidences (oligotipycal non-marine mollusc fauna, Caprid track-ways). A
stratigraphical correlation sketches, based on recent chronostratigraphic data (Hearty & Dai
Pra, 1987; Mauz, 1999), have been proposed for the study area and, compared with the last
130 ky global sea-level curves, suggest a tectono-eustatic interaction. The superposition of
the 11 lithostratigraphic units laid between MIS5 and Holocene (MIS1), associated with their
depositional environment interpretation, implies repeated phases of subsidence followed by a
very recent uplift. Coastal sectors with differential subsidence/uplift rates have also been
recognized along the study area. These data are in strong conflict with other neotectonic
reconstructions, based on MIS 5.5 markers (Nisi et al., 2003; Ferranti et al., 2006), which
suggest stability or gentle uplift for this area