Le piattaforme carbonatiche triassiche delle Pale di San Martino (Dolomiti)

The Pale di San Martino massif is not formed by a single dolomitic lithosome, but includes two carbonate platforms: Dolomia dello Sciliar (Ladinian) and Dolomia Cassiana (Carnian). On the Pale di San Martino plateau the Dolomia dello Sciliar shows an emersion surface characterized by karstik cavities, breccias and sedimentary dykes; the Ladinian carbonate platform died owing to a relative sea-level fall. On the plateau the Dolomia Cassiana disconformably overlies the Dolomia dello Sciliar, while at Vallone delle Lede head it progrades over a basinal unit (San Cassiano formation) laying in a depression developed into the Ladinian carbonate body. A regional transcurrent setting is suggested to explain the tectonic events, which affected the Dolomia dello Sciliar at the end of the Ladinian time.