Description
The geological map of the Autonomous Province of Trento is a vital basic tool for understanding the Trentino region: it provides information essential for the analysis of geological hazards, for the planning and management of the ground and subsoil, and for the design of engineering works and infrastructure.
The consolidation of geological surveys carried out for various projects since the early 1990s, together with twenty years of subsequent surveys and updates, has now resulted in the production of a basic geological map at a scale of 1:10,000 and a single legend covering the entire Trentino region. The geological surveys of the CARG-PAT project contribute to this mapping in the western part of Trentino, whilst the eastern part is covered by surveys carried out between 2006 and 2010 for the Hazard Map project.
In the southern part of our territory, however, the surveys are the result of a database compiled on the basis of the CARG Project Guidelines and supplemented with information for the production of the Summary Hazard Map, the latter currently in the preliminary adoption phase.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYING: HOW A GEOLOGICAL MAP IS CREATED
At the bottom of the page is a short educational video designed to explain, in a clear, visual and engaging way, the role of the geologist in the context of geological surveying (produced by the PAT Geological Service in collaboration with the Press Office).
Geological surveying, carried out by surveying geologists, involves inspecting a specific area and gathering as much information as possible on its geological composition. The colour, thickness and composition of a rock or sediment, and the possible presence of discontinuity planes, fractures or faults. The identification of fossil or mineral content. By observing the stratification of a rock, the surveyor can locate the outcrop in space by measuring the dip of the strata, traditionally using a geologist’s compass. The result is a graphical and symbolic representation of an area’s geology, using specific graphical symbols described in the corresponding key. This is how the geological map is created: an indispensable tool for understanding the structure of a territory, starting from knowledge of a rock – its origin, composition and extent – identifying the most recent surface deposits, their genesis, and defining the area’s geomorphological structure and its evolutionary processes.
The Geological Map of the Autonomous Province of Trento covers the entire Trentino region and is based on specific studies and geological surveys at a scale of 1:10,000 carried out as part of a wider national project known as the CARG Project.
The wealth of valuable information it contains is available for practical applications, to facilitate proper land-use planning and management, and to reduce and mitigate hydrogeological risk.
CONSULTATION
It is possible to consult the representation of our province’s significant geological heritage online via the WebGIS application, which allows users to view and query the individual layers that make up the Geological Database. From WebGIS, data can be downloaded in various formats (TIFF, high-resolution TIFF, PDF, PDF with legend and Shapefile), according to the sections at a scale of 1:10,000. In September 2022, the database was updated with regard to the Little Ice Age (PEG).
PLEASE NOTE: the Geological Map Database is a product that is continuously updated; it provides a reference document on the geology of the Trentino region, which can be periodically updated and supplemented by the Geological Service through the inclusion of new data and information; external users may also contribute by sending an email to the following address:geo.wm@provincia.tn.it
Terms of use: The maps are published by the Autonomous Province of Trento under a Creative Commons ‘Attribution or equivalent’ (CC BY) licence, with the obligation to cite the source: ‘Data processed by the Geological Service of the Autonomous Province of Trento -’. For further information, please visit the websitehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/it/legalcode
Technical documentation
NB: The map underwent an initial update published in December 2019 (further details can be found in the relevant PDF)
DOWNLOAD GEOLOGICAL MAP DATA:
- from WebGIS (TIFF, high-resolution TIFF, PDF, PDF with legend and Shapefile) – see above
- fromthe PAT Geocatalogue(Shapefile)