Lateral variability of the erosive plate boundary in the Northern Apennines, Italy

The early to middle Miocene erosive plate boundary preserved in the Northern Apennines NW of the Sillaro Line is formed by two distinct units - the Sestola-Vidiciatico Tectonic Unit and the Subli - gurian Units. These two units occupy, respectively, the SE and the NW portions of the studied area. Upon closer examination, the features that distinguish these mapped units do not reflect differing plate boundary processes, but rather the incorporation or non-incorporation of forearc-toe mass-wasting deposits into the active subduction channel. In other respects, these two units document similar subduction channel processes, including the contemporaneous activity of multiple sub-parallel slip surfaces. This mode of subduction channel deformation leads to the 'laminar' incorporation of distinct stacked slices within the channel. © 2012 Società Geologica Italiana, Roma.