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blind fault in the Messina area (Valensise and represented by bioclastic calcarenites,
Pantosti, 1992), and although there is uncertain conglomerates with sandy matrix, lacustrine
linkage of the faults along the part of NE Sicily sands and gravels and aeolian calcarenites (Fig.
coast north of Etna, the uniform trend of these 5). Particularly, littoral calcarenites and
faults provides good reason to consider them as a conglomerates, associated with the lowermost
group of faults. This system defines the marine terrace, outcrop in lenses along the
northeastern coastline of Sicily bordering the western coastal tract of the Capo San Vito
Straits of Messina, and produces fault scarps in Promontory and on the coasts of Egadi islands.
the mid-Holocene age surface of the Chiancone They have been ascribed to MIS 5.5 higstand for
deposits on the eastern side of Mount Etna the presence of a typical warm molluscan fauna
(Lanzafame et al., 1996), and coastal-bounding (with Strombus bubonius and other Senegalese
faults in the Taormina area. These faults meet the taxon; Abate et al., 1993,1996; Mauz et al.,
onshore expression of the Malta Escarpment 1997). On the base of their present-day height (W
(Timpe faults) on the east coast, but we stress that side of the Capo SanVito Promontory), previous
the Malta Escarpment-Timpe faults and Messina authors pointed out respectively, for the area, a
fault system are different fault groups. relative stability and a limited, differential uplift
Eastern Sicily coastline can be divided into the during the last 125 ka (Abate et al., 1996; Mauz
following parts, from N to S: 1) NE Sicily of the et al., 1997).
Appenine-Maghrebian Chain; 2) Monte Etna We will see a coastal sector including three
volcanic region; 3) Catania Plain of the collision coastal plains (San Vito, Castelluzzo and Cornino
zone between Europe and Africa; 4) Hyblean Plains) nearby to San Vito Promontory and the
Plateau of the African Plate foreland. Evidence submerged area in front of these, with the aim to
and interpretations of coastal movement in these study the Upper Quaternary tectonic trends. The
4 parts will be summarized, with indication of morpho logical evidences of the seven marine
controls. terrace (from + 90 to about -18 m) surveyed
consist in a subhorizontal erosional platforms,
3. Field itinerary with a remarkable lateral continuity (see coloured
geomorphological map from Antonioli et al.,
Day 1 2002a, attached with this volume) and locally
well-preserved marine deposits lenses. Marine
Arrive in the morning at Palermo airport. Stop 1: notches (at 8, 15, 45, 60 and 70 m above the
S.Vito lo Capo, Pleistocene terraces, in particular present sea level) were also found. The
MIS 5.5 marine notches, inner margins and geomorpho-logical mapping of marine erosion
Strombus b., Elephans and Iippopotamus in Early surfaces was improved by a spatial elaboration of
Pleistocene calacarenite. Stop 2, Vermetids reef. altimetric data using the Arc/info GIS.
Stop 3, Cornino, faulted marine notch. Stop 4, The marine forms were, thus, ascribed to the
Cefalù MIS 5 fossils and terraces (if we are in Middle and Upper Pleistocene, by morphological
time). Night at Milazzo. and stratigraphic criteria. Dating trough U/Th
method on speleothems, which locally coat
The St. Vito lo Capo coastal area has been marine notches, provide only the upper
selected for the field trip for: (i) its uncommon chronological limit for the Terrace II (linked to
conservative morphological setting, with well- the notch at + 62 m) modelled in a period before
preserved geomorphological and depositional 78,000 years ago and for the lower terrace of the
features connected with Quaternary sea-level emerged sequence (Terrace VI, lying at 8 m a.s.l.)
fluctuations, such as a succession of marine modelled before 19,695 year BP, which means
notches and terraces (Fig. 3) located both above before the LGM and, as suggested by other
and below the present m.s.l.; (ii) the presence of observations, in correspondence of the Last
accurate and datable indicators of palaeo-sea Interglacial.
levels (Vermetid bioconstructions and submerged Only the shallowest of presently submerged
speleothems (Fig. 4), the use of which was terraces (Terrace VII) shows a good lateral
subordinate to the knowledge of the vertical continuity and ranges from -15 to -18 m b.s.l.
crustal movements affecting the coastal sector. (Fig. 6). On the basis of tha altitude this terrace
Extensive outcrops of Quaternary phorms and could have developed during MIS 7 (Bard et al.,
deposits occur in the coastal plains of San Vito, 2002).
Castelluzzo and Cornino (Tp); they are
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