Structural analysis and Miocene-to-Present tectonic evolution of a lithospheric-scale, transcurrent lineament: The Sciacca Fault (Sicilian Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea)

The Graham Volcanic Field Offshore Southwestern Sicily (Italy) Revealed by High-Resolution Seafloor Mapping and ROV Images

“…The Nerita Bank is an ellipse-shaped morphological high with a summit depth of −50 m, a nearly 10 km long major axis with a NNE-SSW direction and a 3 km long minor axis. The bathymetric data confirmed the lack of morphological irregularities ascribable to volcanic structures on top of it, as previously indicated by seismic reflection profiles for its subsurface (Civile et al, 2018;Fedorik et al, 2018).…”

“…The overall N-S alignment of the GVF cones, together with the other volcanic centers identified south (i.e., Cimotoe volcano, Calanchi et al, 1989;Civile et al, 2015) and north (a few small isolated cones, Civile et al, 2015Civile et al, , 2018Lodolo et al, 2019a) of the field, reflects the orientation of the Capo Granitola-Sciacca Fault Zone (Fedorik et al, 2018; Figure 1). Based on seismicity data, Calò and Parisi (2014) interpreted this transfer zone as the shallow expression of a sub-vertical lithospheric shear zone favoring magma ascent in this region.…”

“…This belt was related to a lithospheric-scale transpressive transfer zone (the Capo Granitola-Sciacca Fault Zone, CGSFZ; see inset in Figure 1) between the western and eastern sectors of the Sicily Channel Rift Zone, characterized by different amount of rifting (Argnani, 1990;Civile et al, 2014Civile et al, , 2018. The CGSFZ is also positioned between two tectonically independent sectors of the offshore part of the Sicilian-Maghrebian Chain, characterized by different deformation ages, structural trends and tectonic evolution, playing a key role in the Neogene-Quaternary geodynamic evolution of the region (Argnani, 1990;Corti et al, 2006;Civile et al, 2008Civile et al, , 2014Civile et al, , 2018Ghisetti et al, 2009;Calò and Parisi, 2014;Cavallaro et al, 2017;Fedorik et al, 2018;Ferranti et al, 2019). The CGSFZ is composed of two major leftlateral strike-slip systems: the Capo Granitola fault system (CGFS) to the west, which affects the GVF area, and the Sciacca fault system (SFS) to the east (Figure 1), which bounds the eastern extent of the Nerita and Terribile banks (Civile et al, 2018;Fedorik et al, 2018;Ferranti et al, 2019).…”

“…The CGSFZ is also positioned between two tectonically independent sectors of the offshore part of the Sicilian-Maghrebian Chain, characterized by different deformation ages, structural trends and tectonic evolution, playing a key role in the Neogene-Quaternary geodynamic evolution of the region (Argnani, 1990;Corti et al, 2006;Civile et al, 2008Civile et al, , 2014Civile et al, , 2018Ghisetti et al, 2009;Calò and Parisi, 2014;Cavallaro et al, 2017;Fedorik et al, 2018;Ferranti et al, 2019). The CGSFZ is composed of two major leftlateral strike-slip systems: the Capo Granitola fault system (CGFS) to the west, which affects the GVF area, and the Sciacca fault system (SFS) to the east (Figure 1), which bounds the eastern extent of the Nerita and Terribile banks (Civile et al, 2018;Fedorik et al, 2018;Ferranti et al, 2019). Ferranti et al (2019), based on seismic reflection profiles, inferred that folds and faults offshore Capo Granitola and Sciacca are different scale expression of the CGFS and SFS, which were active in left transpression since the Latest Miocene-Early Pliocene and are still active; transpressional deformation along the southern segments of the CGFS and SFS inverted the previous Late Tortonian-Early Messinian extensional or transtensional basins with an uplift rate of about 2 mm/yr during the Plio-Quaternary.…”

“…The Nerita Bank is a morphological high, elongated in a NNE-SSW direction (Figure 2). On the basis of seismic reflection profiles, it was interpreted as an almost symmetrical push-up structure of carbonate origin, generated along strike-slip tectonic faults (i.e., SFS), lacking volcanic structures on it (Argnani, 1990;Civile et al, 2015Civile et al, , 2018Fedorik et al, 2018).…”