Various submarine slope instability during the Plio-Quaternary in the Western and Central Mediterranean

This thesis analyses submarine slope instability across structurally different Mediterranean margins which occurred during the Plio-Quaternary. The interaction between tectonic inheritance, sedimentary dynamics and fluid-related processes, appears to have been modulated by local morphologies and external triggers. Through the seismic stratigraphic analysis of four case studies ranging from canyon systems to mass-transport deposits and fold-belt deformation, this research reconstructs how mass-wasting evolves in Mediterranean-type settings and identifies key parameters that control its onset, geometry, and recurrence. Along the western and southern Sardinian margins, the analysis of post-Messinian submarine canyons reveals that slope destabilization and incision were primarily driven by retrogressive erosion, bottom currents, and mass-flow events, rather than fluvial input. These processes were facilitated by high slope gradients, Quaternary sea-level fluctuations, and regional uplift, establishing a morphodynamic template for subsequent gravity-driven sediment redistribution. In the Gulf of Cagliari, a well-preserved Quaternary mass-transport deposit (MTD-CG1) illustrates the role of buried structural heterogeneities and fluid overpressure in shaping deformation patterns. The combination of translational and compressional domains, crosscut by fluid escape structures, highlights the mechanical complexity of slope failure in shallow continental settings. A broader-scale perspective is provided by the Otranto Channel, where a Late Quaternary mass-transport deposit (MTD1) extends over 1,700 km2 and records multiphase deformation, combining detachment, thrusting, and rollover geometries. Widespread soft-sediment deformation, fluid-escape structures, and buried carbonate mounds testify to intense subsurface fluid circulation. Finally, the Algero-Balearic Basin case study reveals how halokinesis, sediment loading, and tectonic reactivation shape fold-belt geometries and control sediment accommodation. The interaction between inherited salt structures and active compression generates spatial variability in fold wavelength and deformation style, situating slope failure within a broader geodynamic framework. These studies demonstrate that submarine slope instability in the Mediterranean is not the result of isolated failures, but part of a regionally integrated process shaped by structural inheritance, fluid redistribution, and stratigraphic architecture. By combining detailed seismic analysis across diverse tectonic settings, the thesis establishes a comparative framework for interpreting slope instability in Mediterranean-type continental margins.