Abbreviations of stratigraphic units

With the progress of the CARG Project, the number of acronyms that must uniquely identify the stratigraphic units reported in the sheet legends at the scale 1:50,000 has increased considerably, and it could not be otherwise. For this reason it was deemed necessary to make the following list of initials, referring to the sheets of which the last SAL was presented or, as in the case of Sheets 197 and 198, already printed or in the process of printing.

The purposes of this list, also in view of the establishment of the geological database, are multiple:

• to make known to all operators the list of acronyms of CARIMATI et alii (1981), which is the basic tool for the choice of acronyms;
• avoid duplication;
• avoid inconsistencies in the denomination of stratigraphic units having the same acronym;
• constitute a valid operational tool to facilitate controls and verifications;
• to contribute to the formalization phase of the stratigraphic units, facilitating correlations and feedback of synonymies.

The list is obviously provisional and will be progressively updated with the final legends that will be received by the ISPRA Geological Survey. In this first phase the formal aspect of the denomination has not been addressed, if not marginally, since it was considered more urgent to work for the coordination of what has already been produced.
In the list, in italics-bold are reported the acronyms of the units that must be changed, either because already used by CARIMATI et alii (1981) or because already used by another contractor (in this case the delivery date of the last SAL was taken into account). Another priority criterion is to give priority to the abbreviations of the units considered formal by the Italian Commission of Stratigraphy (CIS).
Likewise, the names of the units to be modified (in whole or in part) either because they differ from those used by other contractors or in other sheets, or because they are certainly not valid from the point of view of stratigraphic nomenclature, are reported in italic-grassrove.
The question mark referring to some stratigraphic units, having the same abbreviation but slightly different names, means that the exact denomination of the unit must be decided. Finally, in bold are indicated the names of the units reported in files 1-6 "Geological Formations" of the Illustrative Studies of the Geological Map of Italy, published by the Geological Survey of Italy in the years 1968-1972. When used, it is strongly recommended to stick to their exact name, if still valid.
Still in bold are reported the names of the units until now considered formal by CIS. In this case it is obligatory to strictly adhere to the name indicated.
In addition to these indications, reported directly in the list, it is underlined that, in order to homogenize the final cartographic elaborations, all acronyms must be written, both in legenda and on paper, in capitals, regardless of whether they refer to formal or informal stratigraphic units. It is also recalled that for a stratigraphic unit to be considered formal, it must be validated by the Italian Commission of Stratigraphy.
A last annotation concerns the choice of the acronyms: remember that the acronym must be the acronym of the name of the stratigraphic unit. It is therefore necessary that the acronyms adopted without following this criterion are appropriately changed.
We rely on the active collaboration of everyone to make the changes indicated, which must reach the CARG Survey, Geology and Geomorphology of the Geological Survey of Italy as soon as possible to update the list and to work to eliminate the differences.