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Cinque (1995) published that the inner margin of relative sea-level change shows a sustained rise
this terraces was found south of the Milazzo during deglaciation, with a deceleration in mid-
promontory on the mountain of Sicily at an Holocene, followed by coastal uplift that is more
altitude of 130 m. Between Capo Peloro and rapid than sea-level rise. However coastal uplift
Taormina is possible to see a well carved terrace was slow enough for erosion to remove notch
at altitude compraised between 110 and 140 m. In floors in exposed locations. Among local
the Taormina area we (Antonioli et al., 2002b) variations, the most prominent is at Capo St.
discoverd a fossiliferous marine conglomerate Alessio, where deeply cut notches in a large
deposit on a terrace (Fig.14,15) with an inner limestone block include an undated uplifted notch
margin at 120 m, in an area where undated terrace at +2 m; this has been interpreted as equivalent to
morphology and altitude data have been the +5 m notch elsewhere, displaced down to +2
published (Monaco et al., 2002). Based on ESR m on the downthrown side of a local coast-
methodology applied to fossils sampled at an intersecting fault (Rust and Kershaw, 2000) (Fig.
altitude of 105 m in Taormina, we attribute this 17, 18, 19, 20). The limestone headland at Capo
terrace to MIS 5, probably 5.5. This age allows us Milazzo preserves three undated notches with a
to constrain the date of one point in a very long roof at +2 m, above which the bedrock is
coastline that is otherwise undated. On the dominated by subaerial erosion. Slower uplift of
Catania\Etna volcan area Monaco et al., (2002) this area than of Taormina, during the late
have mapped and aged the MIS 5.5 inner margin Pleistocene, is indicated by the notch pattern and
of terrace at the altitude compraised between 175 also the lower altitude of MIS 5.5 terrace than at
m (Aci Trezza) and 165 m at Catania (Fig. 16). Taormina (+115 m). In the Ganzirri area
(between Messina and Capo Peloro), ceramics
Holocene fossils beach altitude fragments of Piano Conte style Lipari island,
NE Sicily shows well-developed Holocene characteristic of the Neolithical period - 4,600 ±
erosional coastal forms, with tidal notches cut 400 yr BP - were found into the littoral dune at
into well-cemented limestones, and some 3,0 m above present sea-level. Archaeological
locations show uplifted organic remains that are and stratigraphic data have led to point out the
sea-level sensitive (e.g. Dendropoma and period of the emergence of the littoral dune and
coralline algae such as Lithophyllum byssoides, the setting up of Ganzirri lagoon and have
Molinier & Picard,1953; Antonioli et al., 1999; permitted to calculate a tectonic uplift rate of the
Kershaw 2000). At Taormina and St. Alessio the Capo Peloro Peninsula ranging between 0.8 mm
limestone coast lacks the present-day tidal notch; a-1 and 0.4 mm a -1 during the last 5 kyr
this important morphological information allows (Antonioli et al., submitted).
us to be sure that uplifting is presently active. A
prominent notch with well-defined roof lies at 2) Monte Etna coastline volcanics do not preserve
c.+5 m above bmsl in the Taormina area, above tidal notches, but Lithophaga shells collected
which no evidence of Holocene marine influence from a reef at Aci Trezza show Holocene uplift at
is seen, and therefore marks the maximum height rates possibly as high as 3.0 mm/y (Firth et al.
of relative sea level during Holocene sea-level 1996). Lack of sea-level sensitive species in the
rise. This deeply cut notch is dated at 4880±60 Aci Trezza reef suggests that it grew in deeper
14C years (5067 cal BP) at Capo St. Alessio water. The reef is strongly and irregularly eroded,
(Stewart et al., 1997), and approximates to the and suggestions that it contains uplifted notches
mid-Holocene deceleration of sea-level rise. (Kershaw, 2000) are unlikely to be correct.
Overall, Holocene coastal uplift rates (c. 1.4
mm/y) exceeded sea-level rise. The floor of +5m 3) The Catania Plain has revealed evidence of
notch is well-enough preserved to show it formed Holocene uplift (Monaco et al., 2003), and may
during a stillstand and and lower notches are be slowly uplifing. Problematically, the coastline
poorly displayed (Rust and Kershaw, 2000); only does not have rocky outcrops, so that notch
at about +2 m is an obvious notch present. A formation cannot be observed; therefore the
comprehensive survey of underwater behaviour of this area remains open to
geomorphology in Mazzaro Bay, Taormina interpretation.
(Antonioli et al., 2003a) shows no submerged
tidal notches; instead abrasion notches and Relationships between the 4 areas and models of
subaerial karst are displayed; thus the history of crustal behaviour indicate that east Sicily is
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