IL SOLLEVAMENTO DELLA SICILIA ORIENTALE E ALCUNE IMPLICAZIONI SISMICHE E VULCANICHE

Abstract

Carveni P., Benfatto S. & Salleo Puntillo M., Eastern Sicily uplift and some seismic and volcanic implications. (IT ISSN
0394-3356, 2007).
Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe; it is formed by products of many eruptive centres, which were active in four periods.
Volcano building is located along the margin of the two main structural domains of Eastern Sicily: the Apennine-Maghrebian Chain in
the north and the Hyblaean Foreland in the south; the Apennine – Maghrebian Chain consists of several thrust sheets, made up of
structural units derived from different palaeogeographical domains; they were overthrusted upon each other during several tectonic
phases from Eocene to Pleistocene. The Hyblaean Foreland belongs to the northern part of the Africa Plate; it is formed by a thick
Triassic to Pleistocene carbonate succession, with several intercalations of basic volcanic rocks.
While Eastern Sicily is interested by a general uplift, a sector of the Etna volcanic building is characterized by a lowering; this sector is
confined by NE Rift and Pernicana Fault in the north, and by Montagnola - Aci Castello Fault System in the SW; three other fault
systems are included in this area; they are: i) Giardini – Mascali Fault System (NE-SW - NNE-SSW); ii) Ripa della Naca - Piedimonte
Fault System (NE-SW); iii) Timpe Fault System (NNW-SSE).
In historical times, the first of these was active only on 26th March 1847; the second system was strongly active during 1928 Etna eruption; many earthquakes happened along the Timpe Fault System from 1805 to present day; they happened sometimes before, during and/or after volcanic eruptions.
Uplift movements are recorded along the coast between Aci Castello in the north and Catania in the south; some subsidence evidences are visible between Torre Archirafi in the north and Stazzo Port in the south; the eastern slope of volcano building is a high seismic
hazard zone, with superficial hypocentre earthquakes.