Geologic structure and neotectonics of the North African Continental Margin south of Sicily

Jongsma, Derk; Hinte, J.E. van; Woodside, John

doi:10.1016/0264-8172(85)90005-4

Cited by 143 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…1). This complex morphological setting is the product of the Late Miocene-Quaternary rifting of the Sicily Channel, associated with the quasi-orthogonal Neogene continental collision between the African and European plate margins (Jongsma et al 1985;Boccaletti et al 1987;Reuther et al 1993).…”

Section: Geological Setting and Previous Knowledgesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to its complexity, the geological setting of the Sicily Channel has been variously interpreted as: (i) a dextral shear zone located in front of the Africa-Europe collisional belt, where tectonic depressions of the rift represent large pull-apart basins involving deep crustal levels (Finetti 1984;Jongsma et al 1985;Reuther and Eisbacher 1985;BenAvraham et al 1987;Boccaletti et al 1987;Cello 1987;Finetti and Del Ben 2005); (ii) the product of intraplate rifting, related to NE-SW-oriented displacement between Sicily and ). The black box shows the study area; the yellow box indicates the roughly N-S transfer zone (from Argnani 1990).…”

Section: Geological Setting and Previous Knowledgesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of positive tectonic inversion in the north-central sector of the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean)

et al. 2016

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In order to unravel the tectonic evolution of the north-central sector of the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean), a seismo-stratigraphic analysis of single-and multichannel seismic reflection profiles has been carried out. This allowed to identify, between 20 and 50 km offshore the central-southern coast of Sicily, a *80-km-long deformation belt, characterized by a set of WNW-ESE to NW-SE fault segments showing a polyphasic activity. Within this belt, we observed: i) Miocene normal faults reactivated during Zanclean-Piacenzian time by dextral strike-slip motion, as a consequence of the AfricaEurope convergence; ii) releasing and restraining bend geometries forming well-developed pull-apart basins and compressive structures. In the central and western sectors of the belt, we identified local transpressional reactivations of Piacenzian time, attested by well-defined compressive features like push-up structures and fault-bend anticlines. The reconstruction of timing and style of tectonic deformation suggest a strike-slip reactivation of inherited normal faults and the local subsequent positive tectonic inversion, often documented along oblique thrust ramps. This pattern represents a key for an improved knowledge of the structural style of foreland fold-and-thrust belts propagating in a preexisting extensional domain. With regard to active tectonics and seismic hazards, recent GPS data and local seismicity events suggest that this deformation process could be still active and accomplished through deep-buried structures; moreover, several normal faults showing moderate displacements have been identified on top of the Madrepore Bank and Malta High, offsetting the Late Quaternary deposits. Finally, inside the northern part of the

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Section: Geological Setting and Previous Knowledgesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Setting and Previous Knowledgesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of positive tectonic inversion in the north-central sector of the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean)

et al. 2016

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“…The structures of the Sicily Channel have been interpreted as an intraplate rift related to the NE directed displacement of the northern part of the Pelagian Block including Sicily, away from the Africa continent (Illies, 1981;Winnock, 1981;Beccaluva et al, 1983;Finetti, 1984;Corti et al, 2005). The tectonic depressions of the Sicily Channel have also been interpreted as large and discrete pull-apart basins involving deep crustal levels that developed in front of the Africa-Europe collisional belt within a large dextral wrench zone (Cello et al, 1985;Jongsma et al, 1985;Reuther and Eisbacher, 1985;Ben-Avraham et al, 1987;Boccaletti et al, 1987;Cello, 1987;Reuther, 1990;Finetti and Del Ben, 2005). A further interpretation is proposed by Argnani (1990) who suggests that the rifting is due to mantle convections developing during the rollback of the African lithosphere beneath the Tyrrhenian basin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Quaternary deformation on the island on Pantelleria: New constraints for the recent tectonic evolution of the Sicily Channel Rift (southern Italy)

Catalano

Guidi

Lanzafame

et al. 2009

Journal of Geodynamics

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Structural observations carried out on the volcanic island of Pantelleria show that the tectonic setting is dominated by NNE-trending normal faults and by NW-striking right-lateral strike-slip faults with normal component of motion controlled by a  N 100°E oriented extension.This mode of deformation also controls the development of the eruptive fissures, dykes and eruptive centres along NNE-SSW belts that may thus represent the surface response to crustal cracking with associated magma intrusions. Magmatic intrusions are also responsible for the impressive vertical deformations that affect during the Late Quaternary the south-eastern segment of the island and producing a large dome within the Pantelleria caldera complex. The results of the structural analysis carried out on the island of Pantelleria also improves the general knowledge on the Late Quaternary tectonics of the entire Sicily Channel. ESE-WNW directed extension, responsible for both the tectonic and volcano-tectonic features of the Pantelleria Island, also characterizes, at a greater scale, the entire channel as shown by available geodetic and seismological data. This mode of extension reactivates the older NW-SE trending fault segments bounding the tectonic troughs of the Channel as right-lateral strike slip faults and produces new NNE trending pure extensional features (normal faulting and cracking) that preferentially develop at the tip of the major strike-slip fault zones. We thus relate the Late Quaternary volcanism of the Pelagian Block magmatism to dilatational strain on * ManuscriptPage 2 of 27 A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t the NNE-striking extensional features that develop on the pre-existing stretched area and propagate throughout the entire continental crust linking the already up-welled mantle with the surface.

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“…Livermore and Smith (1985) and Ziegler (1992) indicated that the rapid opening of the central Atlantic Ocean in the Late Jurassic -Early Cretaceous was accompanied by an 8° clockwise rotation of Laurasia and major sinistral translations between Africa and Europe. Jongsma et al (1985) indicated that the Early Jurassic volcanics within the Jurassic section are related to break-up at about 180 Ma. Dewey et al (1989) indicated that, during the Middle Jurassic, the Apulian and Anatolian plates pulled away from North Africa, opening the Neo-Tethys 3 ocean between Africa and Europe.…”

Section: -Discussion and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is probably related to the north Graben fault zone (NGFZ) as shown on the tectonic map. Jongsma et al (1985) have interpreted the long wavelength of magnetic anomalies in the NW Libyan offshore as being caused by the presence of Jurassic and Late Cretaceous volcanics. The regional background of the magnetic map of NW A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 3 offshore Libya has been defined as a weak magnetic basement overlain by a thick sequence of non-magnetic sediments (Dewey et al, 1989), while the strong anomalies are probably intrusive volcanic plugs which penetrate the overlying sediments.…”

Section: -Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age of the source of the Jarrafa gravity and magnetic anomalies offshore Libya and its geodynamic implications

Reeh¹,

Aı̈fa²

2008

Journal of Geodynamics

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International audienceThe interpretation of the Jarrafa magnetic and gravity highs, NW Libyan offshore, suggests that it may be caused by a body of high-density and high magnetization. Analysis of their power spectra indicates two groups of sources at: (1) 2.7 km depth, probably related to the igneous rocks, some of which were penetrated in the JA-1 borehole, (2) 5 km depth, corresponding to the top of the causative body and (3) 10 km depth, probably referring to the local basement depth. The boundary analysis derived from applied horizontal gradient to both gravity and magnetic data reveals lineaments many of which can be related to geological structures (grabens, horsts and faults). The poor correlation between pseudogravity fields for induced magnetization and observed gravity fields strongly suggests that the causative structure has a remanent magnetization (D = -16°, I = 23°) of Early Cretaceous age, fitting with the opening of the Neo Tethys 3 Ocean. Three-dimensional interpretation techniques indicate that the magnetic source of the Jarrafa magnetic anomaly has a magnetization intensity of 0.46 A/m, which is required to simulate the amplitude of the observed magnetic anomaly. The magnetic model shows that it has a base level at 15 km. The history of the area combined with the analysis and interpretation of the gravity and magnetic data suggests that: (1) the source of the Jarrafa anomaly is a mafic igneous rock and it may have formed during an Early Cretaceous extensional phase and (2) the Jarrafa basin was left-laterally sheared along the WNW Hercynian North Graben Fault Zone, during its reactivation in the Early Cretaceous

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Geologic structure and neotectonics of the North African Continental Margin south of Sicily

Cited by 143 publications

References 28 publications

Evidence of positive tectonic inversion in the north-central sector of the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean)

Evidence of positive tectonic inversion in the north-central sector of the Sicily Channel (Central Mediterranean)

Late Quaternary deformation on the island on Pantelleria: New constraints for the recent tectonic evolution of the Sicily Channel Rift (southern Italy)

Age of the source of the Jarrafa gravity and magnetic anomalies offshore Libya and its geodynamic implications

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