0000000001031822
AUTHOR
L Ferranti
PRIN Project 2010-11 “Active and recent geodynamics of Calabrian Arc and accretionary complex in the Ionian Sea”: new constraints from geological, geodetic and seismological data
This contribution illustrates the preliminary results of our Research Unit in the PRIN Project 2010-11, which focuses on active and recent geodynamics of Calabrian Arc. The integration of the new geological, geodetic and seismological data supports the inferred recent plate boundary reorganization in the central-southern Mediterranean, where the regional GNNS velocity fields point to a deceleration or cessation of Calabrian Arc migration, and to extension along the axis of the Calabrian Arc, accommodated by normal faulting (e.g. Capo Vaticano and Messina Straits (Aloisi et al., 2012; Pepe et al., 2014; Spampinato et al., 2014). The study of the lateral borders of the Arc revealed that obliq…
Caratterizzazione chimica ed isotopica della carota MSK-C4 (Tirreno Meridionale)
An active oblique-contractional belt at the transition between the Southern Apennines and Calabrian Arc: The Amendolara Ridge, Ionian Sea, Italy
High-resolution, single-channel seismic and multibeam bathymetry data collected at the Amendolara Ridge, a key submarine area marking the junction between the Apennine collision belt and the Calabrian subduction forearc, reveal active deformation in a supposedly stable crustal sector. New data, integrated with existing multichannel seismic profiles calibrated with oil-exploratory wells, show that middle to late Pleistocene sediments are deformed in growth folds above blind oblique-reverse faults that bound a regional pop-up. Data analysis indicates that similar to 10 to 20km long banks that top the similar to 80km long, NW-SE trending ridge are structural culminations above en echelon fault…
Seismotectonics of the active thrust front in southwestern Sicily: hints on the Belice and Selinunte seismogenic sources
We present a seismotectonic model of the active thrust front in western Sicily, which includes the area hit by the 1968 Belice earthquake sequence. The ~40 km long South-WEstern Sicilian Thrust (SWEST) is formed by two aligned albeit non-parallel fault arrays, the Granitola-Castelevetrano Thrust System (GCTS) in the west and the Partanna- Poggioreale Thrust System (PPTS) in the east. The ~NE-SW trending, NW-dipping GCTS straddles from the Pelagian coastline to Castelvetrano, is ~18 km long and composed of two segments, with the northern, ~12 km long one showing geodetic and geologic evidence of active deformation (Barreca et al., 2014). The segment is marked by a sharp gradient in Different…
Geodynamics and active tectonics of the Calabrian Arc: thecontribution of regional and local deformation sources.
The NW sector of the Sicily Channel: geometry and evolution of inverted structural lineaments
The 3-D trend of anticline axial planes, fault planes and surfaces has been reconstructed in the offshore area between the Egadi Islands and the Sciacca High from the interpretation of multichannel seismic reflection profiles and well data (available from the VIDEPI project database). In particular, isopach maps generated for the five seismic units of age between Cretaceous and Quaternary allowed highlighting the space-time migration of the tectonic processes. The western portion of the studied area covers the submerged prolongation of the inner sector of the Sicilian-Maghrebian chain, limited in the NW and in the SE by two tectonic lineaments running along the western and eastern margins o…
HIGH-RESOLUTION SEISMIC SURVEY IN THE WESTERN CALABRIA AND EASTERN SICILY OFFSHORE: IMPLICATIONS WITH VERTICAL TECTONICS
High-resolution seismic data acquired along the continental shelf/upper slope offshore of Capo Vaticano (western Calabria), Milazzo Promontory and Mt. Etna (eastern Sicily) allow to provide new insights on vertical mobility related to active tectonics. A number of depositional sequences bounded by unconformities or correlative para-conformities were recognized on Sparker profiles in the first 200-300 m below the sea-floor. The most recent sequence overlays a widespread erosional surface that ostensibly formed during the sea level stillstand of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), whereas a stack of depositional sequences, which are interpreted as representing the falling and low-stand systems tr…
Active deformation in southern italy from gnss velocities: updated redults of the PTGA network.
Plio-Quaternary tectonic evolution offshore the Capo Vaticano Promontory
We reconstruct the Plio-Quaternary tectono-stratigraphic evolution in the offshore Capo Vaticano (W Calabria, Italy) by integrating data obtained from single- and multi-channel reflection seismic profiles and a reprocessed version of the CROP M2A/III line. NW-trending, high-angle normal faults, dipping ~70° to the south-west formed along the continental slope connecting the south-west continental shelf of the Capo Vaticano Promontory to the Gioia Tauro Basin (Pepe et al., 2014). Faults generally have small displacements up to 40 m and are sealed by Pleistocene deposits. West of the Capo Vaticano promontory and in the Gioia Basin, a SE-dipping, normal fault system, more than 32 km long, is r…
Estimation of historical vertical displacement at the Capo d’Orlando coast (Northern Sicily) based on submerged grinding wheels of Greek age
MILLSTONES COASTAL QUARRIES AS INDICATOR OF RELATIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES
The Italian coasts shows numerous archaeological remains which reveals the activities that were carried out along the coast for thousands of years of history. In order to use archaeological structures for coastal studies, an accurate estimate of their relationship to the sea level at the time of construction is required (Lambeck et al 2004, Antonioli et al 2007, Auriemma & Solinas 2009). Millstone coastal quarries are only documented in southern Italy; they are carved on beachrock, calcarenites and other sedimentary rock easy to be exploited. Few archaeological information have been published about quarries for millstones extraction; they are documented since around 2500 yr BP (Amouretti, 1…
Architecture and Pliocene to Recent evolution of the offshore prolongation of the Granitola - Castelvetrano Thrust System (Sicily Channel)
High-resolution, seismic profiles were recorded in the offshore of Mazara - Punta Granitola with the purpose of reconstructing the architecture and Pliocene to Recent evolution of the south-west prolongation of the Granitola- Castelvetrano Thrust System, identified as an active structure possibly related to destructive historical earthquakes (Barreca et al., 2014; Ferranti et al., this meeting). A number of seismic units were identified. The oldest one is interpreted as representative of the Lower Pliocene pelagic deposits known in the region as Trubi. Lower-middle Pleistocene calcarenites are widespread along the continental shelf (CS) between Mazara del Vallo while their top rapidly deepe…
VIGOR: Sviluppo geotermico nelle Regioni della Convergenza. Progetto VIGOR – Valutazione del Potenziale Geotermico delle Regioni della Convergenza, POI Energie Rinnovabili e Risparmio Energetico 2007-2013
Sul ritrovamento di tephra di composizione riolitica peralluminosa a largo del promontorio di Capo Vaticano (Calabria Occidentale, Tirreno Meridionale)
Timing of the emergence of the Europe-Sicily bridge (40-17 cal ka BP) and its implications for the spread of modern humans
The submerged sill in the Strait of Messina, which is located today at a minimum depth of 81 m below sea level (bsl), represents the only land connection between Sicily and mainland Italy (and thus Europe) during the last lowstand when the sea level locally stood at about 126 m bsl. Today, the sea crossing to Sicily, although it is less than 4 km at the narrowest point, faces hazardous sea conditions, made famous by the myth of Scylla and Charybdis. Through a multidisciplinary research project, we document the timing and mode of emergence of this land connection during the last 40 kyr. The integrated analysis takes into consideration morphobathymetric and lithological data, and relative sea…