Morphometry of Submarine Mass Transport Deposits: Insights from the Taranto Landslide Complex (North Ionian Sea, Southern Italy)

The Taranto Landslide Complex (TLC) is a multi-episode submarine mass-failure system developed along the Apulian continental margin (Gulf of Taranto, northern Ionian Sea) between ~200 and ~900 m water depth. High-resolution multibeam bathymetry and chirp seismostratigraphy were integrated to map five partially overlapping Quaternary mass transport deposits (MTD1–MTD5) and quantify their geometry, conservative volumes, and first-order kinematics. Consistent morphometric parameters indicate mobilities (H/L) and angles of reach typical of continental-slope failures, whereas conservative volumes range between ~0.02–0.35 km3. A depth-averaged sliding-block approach yields bounds on peak velocity and travel time compatible with rapid emplacement. Cross-cutting relationships and post-failure sediment drapes constrain two principal phases of slope instability, expressed as time windows rather than fixed ages. This study develops a framework that integrates uniform morphometric, volumetric, and kinematic features with seismostratigraphy to reconstruct the evolution and relative mobility of multi-episode submarine landslide complexes. The proposed workflow provides a transferable framework for preliminary geohazard assessment on continental margins where repeated slope failure interacts with tectonic and sedimentary forcing.