Quaternary deformation in SE Sicily: Insights into the life and cycles of forebulge fault systems

Abstract

Integrated geological, geomorphological, and differential interferometry synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) data are used to constrain the\ud timing and modes of activity of Quaternary fault systems in the Hyblean Plateau. This area, which represents a unique natural laboratory\ud for studying surface deformation in relation to deep slab dynamics, has grown since middle Miocene times as a doubly plunging forebulge\ud associated with slab rollback during NW-directed subduction. Bimodal extension has produced two mutually orthogonal normal fault systems.\ud The detailed stratigraphic record provided by synrift sediments and postrift marine terraces allowed us to define the timing of activity\ud of an early Pleistocene, flexure-related fault system, thus constraining the duration of a typical foreland extensional tectonic event to\ud ~1.5 m.y. Subsequent late Quaternary to present deformation was dominated by strike-slip faulting associated with NW-oriented horizontal\ud compression. During this latest stage, regional uplift progressively increased toward the thrust front to the NW and was accompanied by\ud differential uplift accommodated by dip-slip components of motion along active NNW-trending faults. The general active tectonic setting of\ud the study area, characterized by NW-oriented horizontal compression consistent with major plate convergence, and the regional uplift pattern\ud can both be explained within the framework of intraplate shortening and foreland rebound following complete slab detachment, a major\ud geodynamic event interpreted to have taken place at ca. 0.7 Ma in southern Italy

Deep Origin of the Dome‐Shaped Hyblean Plateau, Southeastern Sicily: A New Tectono‐Magmatic Model

“…Nevertheless, four main vertical motion events were recognized by one‐dimensional Airy backstripping technique applied to seven wells located north of the Hyblean Plateau (Yellin‐Dror et al, ): (1) a Late Triassic rifting subsidence, (2) an Early Jurassic‐Late Cretaceous thermal subsidence, (3) an uplift phase during the Paleogene, and finally, (4) the uplift events during the Neogene‐Quaternary period (Figure ). During the later phase, the HP partly remained above sea level during the Pliocene‐Early Pleistocene subsidence of its margins (Di Martire et al, ; Grasso & Lentini, ; Schmincke et al, ; Yellin‐Dror et al, ) and the coeval sea‐level rise on the whole Mediterranean (Butler et al, ). Following the Early Pleistocene vigorous Militello volcanic phase (Figure ), a major renewed uplift occurred during the Middle Pleistocene as testified by the presence of Lower Pleistocene calcarenites ~600 m above sea level (near Palagonia village) and raised marine terraces all around the Hyblean Plateau (Schmincke et al, ).…”

“…The uplift rate during this later stage was estimated to about 0.2–0.5 mm/year (Bonforte et al, ; Schmincke et al, ). Unfortunately, despite no satisfactory explanations for the multistage uplift, and, in particular, the significant mid‐Pleistocene central bulging, the complex vertical motion of the Neogene‐Quaternary period was regularly attributed to flexural tectonics (Billi et al, ; Di Martire et al, ; Yellin‐Dror et al, ).…”

Post-failure evolution analysis of a rainfall-triggered landslide by multi-temporal interferometry SAR approaches integrated with geotechnical analysis

“…Ground failures and ground instability hazards are globally widespread phenomena caused by natural geological and climatic processes such as landslides and slope movements (Di Martire et al, 2016a), soil volumetric changes in relation to dry and wet periods, soil/rock dissolution, oscillations of groundwater levels (Chaussard et al, 2014), seismic and volcanic activity (Lagios et al, 2013), neo-tectonic uplift or subsidence (Di Martire et al, 2016b) or induced by anthropogenic sources such as ground water pumping, (Modoni et al, 2013), inappropriate water management (Valipour et al, 2015 and references therein), gas and oil withdrawal, mining activity (Ferretti et al, 2011b), subsurface and surface engineering works (Bandini et al, 2015). They determine a significant number of human losses and injury as well as extensive economic damage to private and public properties.…”

InSAR Monitoring of Italian Coastline Revealing Natural and Anthropogenic Ground Deformation Phenomena and Future Perspectives

“…Here, we present the results of a multi-temporal InSAR analysis performed using SAR images from the ENVISAT sensor and covering the time interval 2003-2010. The study has the objective of identifying active ground movements of tectonic and anthropogenic origin in Augusta Bay in southeastern Sicily [31,32].…”