Geoscience studies in the Maltese Islands: a gateway to the Central Mediterranean region

Abstract

The location of the Maltese Islands, at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, places them as a reference for regional climatic, tectonic and marine processes that have affected the Mediterranean basin. Our review work targeted the entire geoscientific literature produced about the Maltese Islands, covering the period from the 19th century to 2023. We identified ca. 390 papers, by using the main literature databases, and classified them according to the main scientific fields. Geomorphology, stratigraphy and sedimentology represent the main research topics, followed by palaeontology and structural geology. We analysed the temporal distribution of this scientific production, highlighting an overall increasing trend in the number of papers over time. This reveals a growing interest in the geoscientific research related to the Maltese Islands. The review emphasises collaborative efforts between scientists from different fields, illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of geoscientific research in Malta. Our results show that the scientific collaboration between authors, and affiliated institutions, is also based on the shared history and linguistic ties, among the Maltese, Italian and British cultures. The outputs of our review aim to be a comprehensive reference for those undertaking geoscientific research on the Islands.