TECTONIC GENESIS OF THE SALT MARSHES ON THE SICILIAN COAST OF THE STRAITS OF MESSINA (SICILY)

Abstract

Bottari A., Bottari C. & Carveni P., Tectonic genesis of the salt marshes on the Sicilian coast of the Straits of Messina
(Sicily, Southern Italy). (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005).
Based on historiographical, geophysical and seismological data a detailed geological and geomorphological survey has been carried
out to reconstruct the genesis of two Sicilian salt marshes. These salt marshes, called Pantano Piccolo and Pantano Grande, are located respectively on the northern and southern seashore of the coastal plain of Peloro Cape. The Peloro Cape is placed at the northern
opening of the Straits of Messina and together with the two salt marshes, constitute a complex eco-system of great interest because
of the multiple implications of anthropic and naturalistic nature. The result of geological and geophysical surveys shows that the origin
of these salt marshes was due to the activity of some normal faults that conform Peloro Cape Peninsula and that control the level of
coastal plain. The shallow basin of Pantano Grande (big marsh), has a lengthened shape along the Ionian coastline. It is delimited to N
by a normal fault that set the limits to S of the horst of Granatari hill and to S from some small faults that conform the southern shore.
The southern coastline of Pantano Grande is composed by a narrow strip of alluvium deposits that separate the salt marsh basin by
Ionian Sea; here along the coastline a narrow strip of paleontologically sterile conglomerate outcrops. Otherwise, the atypical morphology of Pantano Piccolo (small marsh) is characterized by a high depth (M = - 28 m) compared with its horizontal dimensions; from the bathymetric analysis results that the facing Tyrrhenian Sea is less deep of the Pantano Piccolo basin till 600 m far from the coastline.
The basin of this salt marsh is situated inside a small semi-graben N-S oriented and it is located in the coastal lowland that conforms
to E the Peloro Cape peninsula. In short, the analysis of geomorphologic characteristics and the results of geological, geophysical and
seismological surveys support a tectonic genesis for both the salt marshes.