Submarine Slope Failures Along the Northern Sicilian Continental Margin (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) and Possible Implications for Geo-Hazard

Mass wasting and downslope movements are common processes that have contributed to shape the northern Sicilian continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) since the Late Quaternary. Nevertheless, processes controlling their evolution are still partially unknown and a variety of geologic factors can be responsible for their formation. In this work we present an overview of the main mass wasting features (submarine canyons, landslides, debris flows) observed and mapped in different sectors of the northern Sicilian margin. The margin is characterized by a narrow, steep continental shelf (1-2°) and a very irregular and steep (6-8°) upper slope. The main aims of this work are: (1) to outline th…

Caratterizzazione geomorfologica e sedimentaria di un margine continentale sottoalimentato: analisi sismo-acustica del sistema piattaforma-scarpata delle Isole Egadi (Sicilia nord-occidentale)

STRATIGRAPHIC AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF A HIGH RESOLUTION SEISMIC SURVEY PERFORMED IN THE BAY OF AUGUSTA (SE SICILY)

The Bay of Augusta is located along the NE margin of the Hyblean Plateau (SE Sicily). In this area a mostly bioclastic and terrigenous Quaternary succession outcrops. This area recorded a constant regional uplift rate of 50 kA. Two main groups of faults, referred to as the northwest and the southwest fault zones, are separated by a central zone where no evident fault planes have been imaged by seismic data. The faults in both groups strike from N30W to N52W and are also inferred to be steeply dipping. The faults pertaining to northwestern cluster show a very little offset, 50 kA. As concern the southeastern fault zone, results coming from radiocarbon age dating don’t have sufficient resolut…

The geographic information in the assessment of geohazard in the marine environment

Slope instability and erosion, mass transport, volcanic and tectonic activity, fast sediment accumulation fluid escape are the main processes responsible for the geohazard in marine environment. A major knowledge about the geological setting of the offshore areas and related processes can be crucial to assess and manage the potential geological risks. High resolution morphobathymetric surveys, yielded in the frame of the MaGIC project (Marine Geohazards along the Italian Coasts), integrated with previously acquired data, single-channel seismic reflection profiles, backscatter data and sediments sampling, allow to define the geomorphological, stratigraphic and structural features in the offs…

Submarine Mass Movements Along a Sediment Starved Margin: The Menorca Channel (Balearic Islands - Western Mediterranean)

6th International Symposium on Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences (ISSMMTC), 23-25 September 2013, Kiel, Germany.-- 10 pages, 5 figures

Progetto MAGIC: “L’informazione territoriale nella valutazione del rischio geologico in ambiente marino”. . In: Workshop GIS Day: "GIStales: di dati, persone e strumenti”.

MaGIC è un progetto quinquennale (2007-2012) finanziato dal Dipartimento Nazionale della Protezione Civile per l'acquisizione di dati morfobatimetrici ad alta risoluzione. Lo scopo principale del progetto è quello di definire e rappresentare i principali elementi morfologici dei fondali marini, in particolar modo quelli derivanti da dinamiche morfo-sedimentarie che implicano mobilità e/o instabilità dei sedimenti e conseguenti situazioni di pericolosità per le infrastrutture e le aree costiere urbanizzate. I rilievi morfobatimetrici vengono realizzati con un sistema ecoscandaglio radiale multifascio (Multibeam echosounder systems) calibrato ad hoc nell’area di lavoro e corretto in velocità …