Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles
The offshore margin of Mt. Etna has been shaped by Middle Pleistocene to Holocene shortening and extension and, more recently, by gravity-related sliding of the volcanic edifice. These processes have acted contemporaneously although the gravitational component largely prevails over the tectonic one....
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-02-01
|
| Series: | Geosciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/2/62 |
| _version_ | 1798046345192275968 |
|---|---|
| author | Giovanni Barreca Marta Corradino Carmelo Monaco Fabrizio Pepe |
| author_facet | Giovanni Barreca Marta Corradino Carmelo Monaco Fabrizio Pepe |
| author_sort | Giovanni Barreca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The offshore margin of Mt. Etna has been shaped by Middle Pleistocene to Holocene shortening and extension and, more recently, by gravity-related sliding of the volcanic edifice. These processes have acted contemporaneously although the gravitational component largely prevails over the tectonic one. In order to investigate this issue, we focused on the main role of active tectonics along the south-eastern offshore of Mt. Etna by means of marine high-resolution seismic data. Seismic profiles revealed post-220 ka sedimentary deposits unconformably overlaying the Lower-Middle Pleistocene Etnean clayey substratum and volcanics of the Basal Tholeiitic phase and the Timpe phase. Offshore Aci Trezza-Catania, the architecture of the sedimentary deposits reflects syn-tectonic deposition occurred into “piggy-back” basin setting. Shortening rate was estimated at ~0.5 mm/a since ~220 ka. Asymmetric folding also involves post Last Glacial Maximum deposits, evidencing that compressional deformation is still active. In the continental slope, a belt of normal faults offset the Lower-Middle Pleistocene Etnean clayey substratum and younger deposits, also producing seafloor ruptures. Thrust and fold structures can be related to the recent migration of the Sicilian chain front, while extensional faults are interpreted as part of a major tectonic boundary located in the Ionian offshore of Sicily. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:37:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d080b0bb9c524060b99ff3cfb7226649 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:37:08Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d080b0bb9c524060b99ff3cfb72266492022-12-22T03:56:56ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632018-02-01826210.3390/geosciences8020062geosciences8020062Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic ProfilesGiovanni Barreca0Marta Corradino1Carmelo Monaco2Fabrizio Pepe3Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Catania, Corso Italia, 57, 95129 Catania, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 20/22, 90123 Palermo, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, University of Catania, Corso Italia, 57, 95129 Catania, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DISTEM), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi, 20/22, 90123 Palermo, ItalyThe offshore margin of Mt. Etna has been shaped by Middle Pleistocene to Holocene shortening and extension and, more recently, by gravity-related sliding of the volcanic edifice. These processes have acted contemporaneously although the gravitational component largely prevails over the tectonic one. In order to investigate this issue, we focused on the main role of active tectonics along the south-eastern offshore of Mt. Etna by means of marine high-resolution seismic data. Seismic profiles revealed post-220 ka sedimentary deposits unconformably overlaying the Lower-Middle Pleistocene Etnean clayey substratum and volcanics of the Basal Tholeiitic phase and the Timpe phase. Offshore Aci Trezza-Catania, the architecture of the sedimentary deposits reflects syn-tectonic deposition occurred into “piggy-back” basin setting. Shortening rate was estimated at ~0.5 mm/a since ~220 ka. Asymmetric folding also involves post Last Glacial Maximum deposits, evidencing that compressional deformation is still active. In the continental slope, a belt of normal faults offset the Lower-Middle Pleistocene Etnean clayey substratum and younger deposits, also producing seafloor ruptures. Thrust and fold structures can be related to the recent migration of the Sicilian chain front, while extensional faults are interpreted as part of a major tectonic boundary located in the Ionian offshore of Sicily.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/2/62Mt. Etnaseismic investigationactive tectonicsSicilian thrust-beltIonian Sea |
| spellingShingle | Giovanni Barreca Marta Corradino Carmelo Monaco Fabrizio Pepe Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles Geosciences Mt. Etna seismic investigation active tectonics Sicilian thrust-belt Ionian Sea |
| title | Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles |
| title_full | Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles |
| title_fullStr | Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles |
| title_short | Active Tectonics along the South East Offshore Margin of Mt. Etna: New Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles |
| title_sort | active tectonics along the south east offshore margin of mt etna new insights from high resolution seismic profiles |
| topic | Mt. Etna seismic investigation active tectonics Sicilian thrust-belt Ionian Sea |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/8/2/62 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giovannibarreca activetectonicsalongthesoutheastoffshoremarginofmtetnanewinsightsfromhighresolutionseismicprofiles AT martacorradino activetectonicsalongthesoutheastoffshoremarginofmtetnanewinsightsfromhighresolutionseismicprofiles AT carmelomonaco activetectonicsalongthesoutheastoffshoremarginofmtetnanewinsightsfromhighresolutionseismicprofiles AT fabriziopepe activetectonicsalongthesoutheastoffshoremarginofmtetnanewinsightsfromhighresolutionseismicprofiles |