In this work, we investigated the landscape response to the recent activity of the faults affecti... more In this work, we investigated the landscape response to the recent activity of the faults affecting the Catanzaro Trough, a seismically active structural basin that developed transversally to the Calabrian Arc (Southern Italy) during the Neogene–Quaternary. We carried out a geomorphological and morphometric study of the drainage networks and basins intercepted by the Quaternary faults that were previously mapped through remote and field analyses. The study confirms the occurrence north of the Catanzaro Trough of a WNW–ESE-oriented left-lateral strike-slip fault system (here named the South Sila Piccola Fault System), which accommodates the differential SE-ward migration of the upper crustal sectors of the Calabrian Arc, and of a south-dipping WNW–ESE-oriented oblique fault system (the Lamezia-Catanzaro Fault System), characterized by a predominant normal component of movement. The latter delimits the Catanzaro Trough and accommodates the transition from a strike-slip regime to an ex...
Investigation of sea-level positions during the highly-dynamic Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3: 29–... more Investigation of sea-level positions during the highly-dynamic Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3: 29–61 kyrs BP) proves difficult because: (i) in stable and subsiding areas, coeval coastal sediments are currently submerged at depths of few to several tens of meters below the present sea level; (ii) in uplifting areas, the preservation of geomorphic features and sedimentary records is limited due to the erosion occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with sea level at a depth of −130 m, followed by marine transgression that determined the development of ravinement surfaces. This study discusses previous research in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, and describes new fossiliferous marine deposits overlaying the metamorphic bedrock at Cannitello (Calabria, Italy). Radiocarbon ages of marine shells (about 43 kyrs cal BP) indicate that these deposits, presently between 28 and 30 m above sea level, formed during MIS 3.1. Elevation correction of the Cannitello outcrops (considered in an ...
A multidisciplinary work integrating structural, geodetic and seismological data was performed in... more A multidisciplinary work integrating structural, geodetic and seismological data was performed in the Catanzaro Trough (central Calabria, Italy) to define the seismotectonic setting of this area. The Catanzaro Trough is a structural depression transversal to the Calabrian Arc, lying in-between two longitudinal grabens: the Crati Basin to the north and the Mesima Basin to the south. The investigated area experienced some of the strongest historical earthquakes of Italy, whose seismogenic sources are still not well defined. We investigated and mapped the major WSW–ENE to WNW–ESE trending normal-oblique Lamezia-Catanzaro Fault System, bounding to the north the Catanzaro Trough. Morphotectonic data reveal that some fault segments have recently been reactivated since they have displaced upper Pleistocene deposits showing typical geomorphic features associated with active normal fault scarps such as triangular and trapezoidal facets, and displaced alluvial fans. The analysis of instrument...
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level fluctuations. A dense dataset of morphobathymetric and high resolution seismic data allowed to recognize along the continental shelf to bathyal plain system different types of continental shelf with different stratigraphic and morphostructural settings, associated to both large-scale processes and specific factors related to more local control: a) predominantly rocky shelves, both accompanied by a moderate frontal sedimentary prism and with a structural edge, in the structural highs of the Monti di Palermo offshore and around the main rocky headlands (Capo San Vito, Monte Catalfano); b) depositional shelves, in the Castellammare, Palermo and Termini Imerese gulfs, both with a regular seaward deepening of the substrate and with a substrate uplift at the shelf break. We confirm that depositional sequences in this margin are the result of the interaction between sea level changes and sedimentation, but demonstrate that the tectonic activity has played a key role, not only in the creation of different types of continental shelves, but also to determine the different characters of each sequence in different areas. The general tectonic uplift during the Pleistocene, together with the episodic alternation of extensional and compressional events, often with strike-slip component, is responsible for the thickness and facies variation both onland, where residual Pleistocene marine deposits today outcrops, and in the continental shelf, where most of the depositional sequences developed and are now recognized. As well tectonic activity exerted a control on the geomorphological features (e.g. pockmarks and mounds) of the present day coastal areas and shelf-slope system, as well as for the submarine canyons and the mass failure processes.
CITATIONS 0 READS 23 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 0 READS 23 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: PhD project: 3D thermal-kinematic model of the sicilian Fold and Thrust belt View project Attilio Sulli Università degli Studi di Palermo 95 PUBLICATIONS 863 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE
Magma upwelling forming volcanic plumbing systems in back arc settings is typically controlled by... more Magma upwelling forming volcanic plumbing systems in back arc settings is typically controlled by extensional tectonic structures of the upper crust. Here we investigate this process in the area between the volcanic arc of the Aeolian Islands and the Calabrian arc (SE Tyrrhenian Sea) by integrating morphobathymetry and reflection seismic data with the outcomes of "Inverse 3D magnetic modeling" of previously gathered aeromagnetic data. Morpho-bathymetric data highlight the presence of a seamount ∼10 km offshore Capo Vaticano Promontory (eastern Calabria). This feature, named Capo Vaticano seamount is composed of a series of NE-trending ridges, the greatest of which (R1) is ∼12 km long, and 2.4 km wide, displays asymmetric flanks with a landward steep slope, oblique morphological steps and elongated NE-trending rims. The position of the R1 ridge summit fits the Reduced-to-the-Pole peak of a high-intensity magnetic anomaly straddling Capo Vaticano Promontory and its offshore prolongation. Seismic and bathymetric data highlight two extensional fault systems affecting the offshore of Capo Vaticano Promontory during the Plio-Pleistocene: (a) a Pliocene NW-trending, SW-dipping normal fault system, and (b) a Pleistocene NE-trending, SE-dipping normal fault system. The younger system is composed of a series of en-echelon branching normal faults bounding the eastern side of the R1 ridge. Aeromagnetic data modeling imaged a complex 3D-magnetized body below the R1 ridge exhibiting a subvertical conduit-like structure in the shallow part, and a NE-striking, sheet-like shape inclined by 45 • in depth. The location of the sub-vertical conduit coincides with the summit of the R1 ridge. The magma uprising at the root of the volcano was controlled by the Pliocene NW-trending faults whereas its further upwards migration was ostensibly controlled by the Pleistocene NE-trending faults. Both fault systems are responsible for the high level of fracturing that likely favored the upward migration of magma. The younger extensional systems also controls the present-day, mantle derived, fluid escapes observed at the summit of the R1 ridge. Relying on seismic stratigraphic evidence as well as the normal polarity of the magnetic anomaly, the R1 ridge probably started to form during the Olduvai chron (early Pleistocene, 1.81-1.96 Ma). Accordingly, the Capo Vaticano volcano may represent the result of magmatic activity that predates the Aeolian volcanic arc.
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level f...
The occurrence of mud volcanoes and mud domes is, for the first time, documented in the continent... more The occurrence of mud volcanoes and mud domes is, for the first time, documented in the continental shelf and upper slope of the Palermo and Termini Gulf (north Sicily offshore region). The study area belongs to the northern Sicily continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea). Along this margin, morphology of the high-gradient continental slope is irregular due to the presence of structural highs, slope failures and canyons, and is interrupted by a flat area at a depth of 1,500 m. Mud volcano activity generally formed in areas characterised by high sedimentation rates and/or as consequences of regional tectonics (often compressional), overpressure in the sediments and gas generated at different depths. Materials and methods This study is based on unpublished, near-vertical seismic profiles shot in 2001 in the N Sicily offshore region, coupled with multichannel seismic profiles and multibeam data. The latter have been acquired using the 50-100 kHz Seabat instrument, with operating de...
Two high-penetration seismic profiles across the continental margin of north Sicily (southern Tyr... more Two high-penetration seismic profiles across the continental margin of north Sicily (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) have been interpreted to construct a crustal section across the margin and to provide a three-dimensional perspective on the upper crustal setting of the Solunto High and its structural relationships with the adjacent Cefalù Basin. Crystalline rocks of the Kabilian-Calabrian Units (KCU) are recognized in the Solunto High region and farther to the north. The KCU body is tectonically superimposed onto sedimentary rocks pertaining to the Sicilian-Maghrebian Units (SMU) and the Solunto High corresponds to the thrust sheet culmination. Its occurrence in the Solunto High demonstrates that the Drepano Thrust Front is continuous from the Elimi Chain in the west to the Calabrian-Peloritani in the east. At the crustal scale, the continental margin of north Sicily shows tectonics features typical of most subduction zones and of rifted continental margins. Continental collision was achieved in the (?) Oligocene-early Miocene and caused the superposition of the KCU crystalline rocks on the deep-water carbonate resting on the African continental margin. Contractional deformation persisted until the late Miocene resulting in the tectonic superposition of deep-onto shallowwater carbonates and the formation of the Sicilian-Maghrebian fold-and-thrust belt. Extension began in late (?) Tortonian times, lasted till the early (?) Messinian and caused the opening of the Cefalù Basin and other basins further to the north. Late (?) Messinian-early Pliocene contractional and/or transpressional deformation reactivated previously formed oblique ramps in the inner sector of the thrust belt. This event was responsible for uplift of the KCU in the Solunto High region. In the middle-late Pliocene, renewed extension determined further opening and subsidence of the Cefalù basin.
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level fluctuations. A dense dataset of morphobathymetric and high resolution seismic data allowed to recognize along the continental shelf to bathyal plain system different types of continental shelf with different stratigraphic and morphostructural settings, associated to both large-scale processes and specific factors related to more local control: a) predominantly rocky shelves, both accompanied by a moderate frontal sedimentary prism and with a structural edge, in the structural highs of the Monti di Palermo offshore and around the main rocky headlands (Capo San Vito, Monte Catalfano); b) depositional shelves, in the Castellammare, Palermo and Termini Imerese gulfs, both with a regular seaward deepening of the substrate and with a substrate uplift at the shelf break. We confirm that depositional sequences in this margin are the result of the interaction between sea level changes and sedimentation, but demonstrate that the tectonic activity has played a key role, not only in the creation of different types of continental shelves, but also to determine the different characters of each sequence in different areas. The general tectonic uplift during the Pleistocene, together with the episodic alternation of extensional and compressional events, often with strike-slip component, is responsible for the thickness and facies variation both onland, where residual Pleistocene marine deposits today outcrops, and in the continental shelf, where most of the depositional sequences developed and are now recognized. As well tectonic activity exerted a control on the geomorphological features (e.g. pockmarks and mounds) of the present day coastal areas and shelf-slope system, as well as for the submarine canyons and the mass failure processes.
Dati batimetrici multibeam e sismici ad alta risoluzione sono stati raccolti nel settore oriental... more Dati batimetrici multibeam e sismici ad alta risoluzione sono stati raccolti nel settore orientale del margine continentale tirrenico della Calabria durante la campagna oceanografica Marisk 2012. Sono stati, inoltre, eseguiti carotaggi a gravità e dragaggi in un'area profonda fino a 350-400 m, limitrofe il promontorio di Capo Vaticano (Calabria orientale), in cui l'analisi di dati aero-magnetici ha evidenziato un'anomalia magnetica che si estende in direzione NO-SE, compatibile con la presenza di un corpo, avente un pattern simile a quello delle rocce vulcaniche delle Isole Eolie (da mediamente a molto evolute) di dimensioni 20 per 3-5 km [De Ritis et al., 2010]. Nell'area, i nuovi dati batimetrici evidenziano la presenza di un alto morfologico che si estende in direzione NE a SO, lungo circa 9 e largo 2-2.5 km. Nei profili sismici, la geometria divergente dei riflettori indica che questa struttura si è sollevata durante il tardo (?) Pleistocene.
Three multichannel seismic reflection profiles across the North Sicily continental mar- gin have ... more Three multichannel seismic reflection profiles across the North Sicily continental mar- gin have been reprocessed and interpreted. Data consist of an unpublished high pene- tration seismic profile (deep crust Italian CROP Project) and a high-resolution seismic line. These lines run in the NNE-SSW direction, from the Sicilian continental shelf to the Tyrrhenian abyssal plain (Marsili area), and are tied by
High-resolution, single-channel seismic and multibeam bathymetry data collected at the Amendolara... more 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~10 to 20 km long banks that top the~80 km long, NW-SE trending ridge are structural culminations above en echelon fault segments. Numeric modeling of bathymetry and stratigraphic markers suggests that three 45°dipping upper crustal (2-10 km) fault segments underlie the ridge, with slip rates up to~0.5 mm/yr. Segments may be capable with M~6.1-6.3 earthquakes, although an unknown fraction of aseismic slip undoubtedly contributes to deformation. The fault array that bounds the southern flank of the ridge (Amendolara Fault System) parallels a belt of M w < 4.7 strike-slip and thrust earthquakes, which suggest current left-oblique reverse motion on the array. The eastern segment of the array shows apparent morphologic evidence of deformation and might be responsible for M w ≤ 5.2 historic events. Late Pliocene-Quaternary growth of the oblique contractional belt is related to the combined effects of stalling of Adriatic slab retreat underneath the Apennines and subduction retreat of the Ionian slab underneath Calabria. Deformation localization was controlled by an inherited mechanical interface between the thick Apulian (Adriatic) platform crust and the attenuated Ionian Basin crust.
The most relevant geologic features across the continental margin offshore western Calabria and i... more The most relevant geologic features across the continental margin offshore western Calabria and its Neogene to Recent sedimentary and tectonic evolution are reconstructed using high-resolution coupled with high-penetration seismic lines. Data and interpretations we present offer an opportunity to investigate the influence of the roll-back and retreat of the NW-dipping subduction of the Ionian plate underneath Calabria on vertical movements in the overlying upper crust. Seismostratigraphic analysis was used to define seismic units. To assign ages to the sedimentary units, a key role was played by the Messinian horizon. Across the margin the major sedimentary units vary in thickness, number of seismic units and post late-Messinian tectonic deformation. On this basis, the margin has been divided into three distinct segments separated by narrow sub-vertical discontinuities. The NW- segment extends from the continental shelf of Calabria to the morphological high bordering to the west the...
In this work, we investigated the landscape response to the recent activity of the faults affecti... more In this work, we investigated the landscape response to the recent activity of the faults affecting the Catanzaro Trough, a seismically active structural basin that developed transversally to the Calabrian Arc (Southern Italy) during the Neogene–Quaternary. We carried out a geomorphological and morphometric study of the drainage networks and basins intercepted by the Quaternary faults that were previously mapped through remote and field analyses. The study confirms the occurrence north of the Catanzaro Trough of a WNW–ESE-oriented left-lateral strike-slip fault system (here named the South Sila Piccola Fault System), which accommodates the differential SE-ward migration of the upper crustal sectors of the Calabrian Arc, and of a south-dipping WNW–ESE-oriented oblique fault system (the Lamezia-Catanzaro Fault System), characterized by a predominant normal component of movement. The latter delimits the Catanzaro Trough and accommodates the transition from a strike-slip regime to an ex...
Investigation of sea-level positions during the highly-dynamic Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3: 29–... more Investigation of sea-level positions during the highly-dynamic Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3: 29–61 kyrs BP) proves difficult because: (i) in stable and subsiding areas, coeval coastal sediments are currently submerged at depths of few to several tens of meters below the present sea level; (ii) in uplifting areas, the preservation of geomorphic features and sedimentary records is limited due to the erosion occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with sea level at a depth of −130 m, followed by marine transgression that determined the development of ravinement surfaces. This study discusses previous research in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, and describes new fossiliferous marine deposits overlaying the metamorphic bedrock at Cannitello (Calabria, Italy). Radiocarbon ages of marine shells (about 43 kyrs cal BP) indicate that these deposits, presently between 28 and 30 m above sea level, formed during MIS 3.1. Elevation correction of the Cannitello outcrops (considered in an ...
A multidisciplinary work integrating structural, geodetic and seismological data was performed in... more A multidisciplinary work integrating structural, geodetic and seismological data was performed in the Catanzaro Trough (central Calabria, Italy) to define the seismotectonic setting of this area. The Catanzaro Trough is a structural depression transversal to the Calabrian Arc, lying in-between two longitudinal grabens: the Crati Basin to the north and the Mesima Basin to the south. The investigated area experienced some of the strongest historical earthquakes of Italy, whose seismogenic sources are still not well defined. We investigated and mapped the major WSW–ENE to WNW–ESE trending normal-oblique Lamezia-Catanzaro Fault System, bounding to the north the Catanzaro Trough. Morphotectonic data reveal that some fault segments have recently been reactivated since they have displaced upper Pleistocene deposits showing typical geomorphic features associated with active normal fault scarps such as triangular and trapezoidal facets, and displaced alluvial fans. The analysis of instrument...
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level fluctuations. A dense dataset of morphobathymetric and high resolution seismic data allowed to recognize along the continental shelf to bathyal plain system different types of continental shelf with different stratigraphic and morphostructural settings, associated to both large-scale processes and specific factors related to more local control: a) predominantly rocky shelves, both accompanied by a moderate frontal sedimentary prism and with a structural edge, in the structural highs of the Monti di Palermo offshore and around the main rocky headlands (Capo San Vito, Monte Catalfano); b) depositional shelves, in the Castellammare, Palermo and Termini Imerese gulfs, both with a regular seaward deepening of the substrate and with a substrate uplift at the shelf break. We confirm that depositional sequences in this margin are the result of the interaction between sea level changes and sedimentation, but demonstrate that the tectonic activity has played a key role, not only in the creation of different types of continental shelves, but also to determine the different characters of each sequence in different areas. The general tectonic uplift during the Pleistocene, together with the episodic alternation of extensional and compressional events, often with strike-slip component, is responsible for the thickness and facies variation both onland, where residual Pleistocene marine deposits today outcrops, and in the continental shelf, where most of the depositional sequences developed and are now recognized. As well tectonic activity exerted a control on the geomorphological features (e.g. pockmarks and mounds) of the present day coastal areas and shelf-slope system, as well as for the submarine canyons and the mass failure processes.
CITATIONS 0 READS 23 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 0 READS 23 5 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: PhD project: 3D thermal-kinematic model of the sicilian Fold and Thrust belt View project Attilio Sulli Università degli Studi di Palermo 95 PUBLICATIONS 863 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE
Magma upwelling forming volcanic plumbing systems in back arc settings is typically controlled by... more Magma upwelling forming volcanic plumbing systems in back arc settings is typically controlled by extensional tectonic structures of the upper crust. Here we investigate this process in the area between the volcanic arc of the Aeolian Islands and the Calabrian arc (SE Tyrrhenian Sea) by integrating morphobathymetry and reflection seismic data with the outcomes of "Inverse 3D magnetic modeling" of previously gathered aeromagnetic data. Morpho-bathymetric data highlight the presence of a seamount ∼10 km offshore Capo Vaticano Promontory (eastern Calabria). This feature, named Capo Vaticano seamount is composed of a series of NE-trending ridges, the greatest of which (R1) is ∼12 km long, and 2.4 km wide, displays asymmetric flanks with a landward steep slope, oblique morphological steps and elongated NE-trending rims. The position of the R1 ridge summit fits the Reduced-to-the-Pole peak of a high-intensity magnetic anomaly straddling Capo Vaticano Promontory and its offshore prolongation. Seismic and bathymetric data highlight two extensional fault systems affecting the offshore of Capo Vaticano Promontory during the Plio-Pleistocene: (a) a Pliocene NW-trending, SW-dipping normal fault system, and (b) a Pleistocene NE-trending, SE-dipping normal fault system. The younger system is composed of a series of en-echelon branching normal faults bounding the eastern side of the R1 ridge. Aeromagnetic data modeling imaged a complex 3D-magnetized body below the R1 ridge exhibiting a subvertical conduit-like structure in the shallow part, and a NE-striking, sheet-like shape inclined by 45 • in depth. The location of the sub-vertical conduit coincides with the summit of the R1 ridge. The magma uprising at the root of the volcano was controlled by the Pliocene NW-trending faults whereas its further upwards migration was ostensibly controlled by the Pleistocene NE-trending faults. Both fault systems are responsible for the high level of fracturing that likely favored the upward migration of magma. The younger extensional systems also controls the present-day, mantle derived, fluid escapes observed at the summit of the R1 ridge. Relying on seismic stratigraphic evidence as well as the normal polarity of the magnetic anomaly, the R1 ridge probably started to form during the Olduvai chron (early Pleistocene, 1.81-1.96 Ma). Accordingly, the Capo Vaticano volcano may represent the result of magmatic activity that predates the Aeolian volcanic arc.
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level f...
The occurrence of mud volcanoes and mud domes is, for the first time, documented in the continent... more The occurrence of mud volcanoes and mud domes is, for the first time, documented in the continental shelf and upper slope of the Palermo and Termini Gulf (north Sicily offshore region). The study area belongs to the northern Sicily continental margin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea). Along this margin, morphology of the high-gradient continental slope is irregular due to the presence of structural highs, slope failures and canyons, and is interrupted by a flat area at a depth of 1,500 m. Mud volcano activity generally formed in areas characterised by high sedimentation rates and/or as consequences of regional tectonics (often compressional), overpressure in the sediments and gas generated at different depths. Materials and methods This study is based on unpublished, near-vertical seismic profiles shot in 2001 in the N Sicily offshore region, coupled with multichannel seismic profiles and multibeam data. The latter have been acquired using the 50-100 kHz Seabat instrument, with operating de...
Two high-penetration seismic profiles across the continental margin of north Sicily (southern Tyr... more Two high-penetration seismic profiles across the continental margin of north Sicily (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) have been interpreted to construct a crustal section across the margin and to provide a three-dimensional perspective on the upper crustal setting of the Solunto High and its structural relationships with the adjacent Cefalù Basin. Crystalline rocks of the Kabilian-Calabrian Units (KCU) are recognized in the Solunto High region and farther to the north. The KCU body is tectonically superimposed onto sedimentary rocks pertaining to the Sicilian-Maghrebian Units (SMU) and the Solunto High corresponds to the thrust sheet culmination. Its occurrence in the Solunto High demonstrates that the Drepano Thrust Front is continuous from the Elimi Chain in the west to the Calabrian-Peloritani in the east. At the crustal scale, the continental margin of north Sicily shows tectonics features typical of most subduction zones and of rifted continental margins. Continental collision was achieved in the (?) Oligocene-early Miocene and caused the superposition of the KCU crystalline rocks on the deep-water carbonate resting on the African continental margin. Contractional deformation persisted until the late Miocene resulting in the tectonic superposition of deep-onto shallowwater carbonates and the formation of the Sicilian-Maghrebian fold-and-thrust belt. Extension began in late (?) Tortonian times, lasted till the early (?) Messinian and caused the opening of the Cefalù Basin and other basins further to the north. Late (?) Messinian-early Pliocene contractional and/or transpressional deformation reactivated previously formed oblique ramps in the inner sector of the thrust belt. This event was responsible for uplift of the KCU in the Solunto High region. In the middle-late Pliocene, renewed extension determined further opening and subsidence of the Cefalù basin.
The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily contin... more The geological, geomorphological and sedimentological features of the north-western Sicily continental shelf are here illustrated with the aim to propose a geological model able to explain the Neogene-Quaternary evolution of the Sicilian continental margin in the context of the central Mediterranean region. Above the continental shelf and upper slope the sedimentary succession, showing along the different sectors of the margin considerably variable internal geometry and stratigraphic relationships with the underlying units, is interpreted as a IV order depositional sequence (Late Quaternary Depositional Sequence, LQDS) deposited during the last eustatic change (last 125 ky). The lower boundary of the LQDS is represented by a subaerial erosional surface formed during the last eustatic sea level fall ended in the LGM (20-18 ka). This unconformity lies above a seaward dipping Pleistocene succession whose depositional architecture is in turn controlled by Quaternary eustatic sea-level fluctuations. A dense dataset of morphobathymetric and high resolution seismic data allowed to recognize along the continental shelf to bathyal plain system different types of continental shelf with different stratigraphic and morphostructural settings, associated to both large-scale processes and specific factors related to more local control: a) predominantly rocky shelves, both accompanied by a moderate frontal sedimentary prism and with a structural edge, in the structural highs of the Monti di Palermo offshore and around the main rocky headlands (Capo San Vito, Monte Catalfano); b) depositional shelves, in the Castellammare, Palermo and Termini Imerese gulfs, both with a regular seaward deepening of the substrate and with a substrate uplift at the shelf break. We confirm that depositional sequences in this margin are the result of the interaction between sea level changes and sedimentation, but demonstrate that the tectonic activity has played a key role, not only in the creation of different types of continental shelves, but also to determine the different characters of each sequence in different areas. The general tectonic uplift during the Pleistocene, together with the episodic alternation of extensional and compressional events, often with strike-slip component, is responsible for the thickness and facies variation both onland, where residual Pleistocene marine deposits today outcrops, and in the continental shelf, where most of the depositional sequences developed and are now recognized. As well tectonic activity exerted a control on the geomorphological features (e.g. pockmarks and mounds) of the present day coastal areas and shelf-slope system, as well as for the submarine canyons and the mass failure processes.
Dati batimetrici multibeam e sismici ad alta risoluzione sono stati raccolti nel settore oriental... more Dati batimetrici multibeam e sismici ad alta risoluzione sono stati raccolti nel settore orientale del margine continentale tirrenico della Calabria durante la campagna oceanografica Marisk 2012. Sono stati, inoltre, eseguiti carotaggi a gravità e dragaggi in un'area profonda fino a 350-400 m, limitrofe il promontorio di Capo Vaticano (Calabria orientale), in cui l'analisi di dati aero-magnetici ha evidenziato un'anomalia magnetica che si estende in direzione NO-SE, compatibile con la presenza di un corpo, avente un pattern simile a quello delle rocce vulcaniche delle Isole Eolie (da mediamente a molto evolute) di dimensioni 20 per 3-5 km [De Ritis et al., 2010]. Nell'area, i nuovi dati batimetrici evidenziano la presenza di un alto morfologico che si estende in direzione NE a SO, lungo circa 9 e largo 2-2.5 km. Nei profili sismici, la geometria divergente dei riflettori indica che questa struttura si è sollevata durante il tardo (?) Pleistocene.
Three multichannel seismic reflection profiles across the North Sicily continental mar- gin have ... more Three multichannel seismic reflection profiles across the North Sicily continental mar- gin have been reprocessed and interpreted. Data consist of an unpublished high pene- tration seismic profile (deep crust Italian CROP Project) and a high-resolution seismic line. These lines run in the NNE-SSW direction, from the Sicilian continental shelf to the Tyrrhenian abyssal plain (Marsili area), and are tied by
High-resolution, single-channel seismic and multibeam bathymetry data collected at the Amendolara... more 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~10 to 20 km long banks that top the~80 km long, NW-SE trending ridge are structural culminations above en echelon fault segments. Numeric modeling of bathymetry and stratigraphic markers suggests that three 45°dipping upper crustal (2-10 km) fault segments underlie the ridge, with slip rates up to~0.5 mm/yr. Segments may be capable with M~6.1-6.3 earthquakes, although an unknown fraction of aseismic slip undoubtedly contributes to deformation. The fault array that bounds the southern flank of the ridge (Amendolara Fault System) parallels a belt of M w < 4.7 strike-slip and thrust earthquakes, which suggest current left-oblique reverse motion on the array. The eastern segment of the array shows apparent morphologic evidence of deformation and might be responsible for M w ≤ 5.2 historic events. Late Pliocene-Quaternary growth of the oblique contractional belt is related to the combined effects of stalling of Adriatic slab retreat underneath the Apennines and subduction retreat of the Ionian slab underneath Calabria. Deformation localization was controlled by an inherited mechanical interface between the thick Apulian (Adriatic) platform crust and the attenuated Ionian Basin crust.
The most relevant geologic features across the continental margin offshore western Calabria and i... more The most relevant geologic features across the continental margin offshore western Calabria and its Neogene to Recent sedimentary and tectonic evolution are reconstructed using high-resolution coupled with high-penetration seismic lines. Data and interpretations we present offer an opportunity to investigate the influence of the roll-back and retreat of the NW-dipping subduction of the Ionian plate underneath Calabria on vertical movements in the overlying upper crust. Seismostratigraphic analysis was used to define seismic units. To assign ages to the sedimentary units, a key role was played by the Messinian horizon. Across the margin the major sedimentary units vary in thickness, number of seismic units and post late-Messinian tectonic deformation. On this basis, the margin has been divided into three distinct segments separated by narrow sub-vertical discontinuities. The NW- segment extends from the continental shelf of Calabria to the morphological high bordering to the west the...
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Papers by Fabrizio Pepe